


Meet me on the Horizon

by LexisGrey



Category: South Park
Genre: Addiction, Aged-Up Character(s), Anxiety, Bisexual Tweek Tweak, Brotherly Love, Canon Gay Relationship, Clyde Donovan & Craig Tucker Friendship, Coffee Shops, Craig and Those Guys - Freeform, Craig is secretly a sweetheart, Dark Past, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Gay Craig Tucker, Jealous Craig Tucker, Multi, Romance, Slow Burn, South Park AU, South Park References, Strangers to Lovers, creek - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 71,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26374408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexisGrey/pseuds/LexisGrey
Summary: Tweek Tweak was living his best life; he had a job he loved, a peaceful environment, kind co-workers including an amazing and super cute girl he had a crush on. Everything was perfect, until a raven-haired man with amber colored eyes and an attitude of a brick stormed inside the shop and turned his world upside down.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Comments: 321
Kudos: 230





	1. Love is a battlefield

**Author's Note:**

> Horizon: the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet.

The winter sunlight lazily crawled through the spotless glass door, as if itself was way too tired to exist in this gloomy, cold day. Even though it wasn’t early in the morning anymore it was still just the beginning of January and the Sun wasn’t able to brighten up the tiny, old-fashioned coffee shop. In one of the darkest corners of the place, under the dim light of the lamp, just above the worn-out floor, tiny motes of dust danced slowly to the beat of the monotone music. Behind the coffee counter a young woman’s sleepy eyes gazed into nothingness while her pretty, slim fingers drummed the rhythm of a familiar song.

All of a sudden, the smell of fresh croissant filled the air as a fragile looking guy walked in from the backroom. The girl turned her eyes away from the empty floor just to throw a glance at the new arrival. More specifically to the tray of baked goods.

“Isn’t it too much?” She asked, while she grabbed one of the baskets they kept specifically for the pastries, and walked closer to her partner to help him out.

“Ha-hannah told me the other day that the new semester starts today…” Mumbled the young man under his chaotic golden ocean of hair while with all of his concentration tried to spread the croissants on the basket. “So, I thought maybe we will have more customers than in the last couple of weeks.” He finished his monologue with a shy smile, and landed the fresh goodies on the counter.

“Finally.” Sighed the girl. Her long, brunette hair was kept in a high ponytail, but one of her fingers tangled around a part of her side bangs. Her light blue orbs wandered back to the sight of the empty shop. “It would be great to have some life around here again. I started to feel like we were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and forgotten to be informed about it.”

The guy hesitantly chuckled behind his companion. He didn’t want to let her know that he actually enjoyed the quiet, uneventful weeks. There were no loud groups of students hanging around for hours, annoying him with the mess they made and deepening his anxiety. But the good times were coming to an end. This made his soul nostalgically craving for the quickly disappearing days which slipped through his fingers, even though, he tried his best to hold onto them. The days with so much free time that allowed the two of them to hang out more without anybody interrupting them. Just one more soft smile, a gently hug or a cheerful laugh from Annie was enough to warm his heart.

“Want some?” He asked the girl when he arrived to the coffee machine. Her overjoyed reaction crawled a small smile in the corner of his lips. He grabbed a mug from the top of the machine and started to make her favorite brew. She reached for a plate under the counter and put a croissant on it, and with that she lumped down with satisfaction on an old chair which definitely saw better days.

“Thanks, Tweek you’re the best.” Smiled Annie and started to nibble at her breakfast.

The sound of the coffee grinder filled the air and suppressed the boring music coming from the speaker. In just a couple of seconds, the small place smelled like fresh coffee. The most relaxing scent of the world, at least in the young man’s opinion. He walked closer to her with two mugs in his hands, when he arrived, he leaned back a bit, resting his back against the wall. He gave one to the girl and the two of them quietly enjoyed the peaceful morning meal and each other’s company. The blonde fellow slowly sipped his onyx colored elixir of life while his eyes rested on the soft features of Annie’s beautiful face. Her pure existence mesmerized him. He was so grateful that he was alive, and he could be here, in this run-down place, where the sweet aroma of espresso deeply ingrained in the decayed walls, and the smell of organic milk was indelible from their uniforms. Every day was similar. Familiar faces with their usual orders in predictable times. Except when the university’s new year started and some freshmen were brave enough to step in the shop. The first couple weeks were always stressful for Tweek, but he started to get used to it. Although he was more anxious during these times, he felt lucky that he could still spend most of his days with Annie. As long as he could be next to her nothing else mattered. She made him calm like no one else before, and this feeling was the most precious treasure in his life. Being calm wasn’t something coming easy for Tweek. He fought for it through his entire life, and now that he was finally able to get a hold of it, he never wanted to lose it again. He just loved his peaceful, quiet, uneventful life, and wished it would never change…

***

Annie glanced at her watch which was wrapped around her tiny wrist and happily realized that the time was getting close to 7 a.m. Which meant nothing less than their usual morning rush – though it felt like a mockery to call it a rush – was about to begin. She looked over her shoulder and her eyes settled on her colleague, who was busy with reorganizing the cups, mugs and glasses on the shelves. He did this nearly every day…

“Tweek…” She called the name of the guy, but the inchoated sentence faded out in the air, as the tiny doorbell signaled the arrival of the first customer. “Good morning!” Welcomed the newcomer with a wide smile. _Double espresso with a splash of cream to takeaway_ Thought the girl boringly while the well-set, middle-aged man with a jelly-belly appeared in front of the counter.

“A very good morning to you too, miss Annie. The usual, please… if I’m not bothering you.” Blinked the guy with an obnoxious smile, and the way he kept glaring at her turned her stomach and made her wish to just disappear. With his sweaty sausage fingers, he handed a greasy $10 bill to the girl behind the cashier counter. She felt his fingers shamelessly staying a little too long on her palm. Anger and nausea built up in her while with an angelic smile she quickly collected the needed change and handed it back to her current reason of disgust. He dropped some coins in the tip jar, feeling very generous. “So, how’s your day going?” Came the routine question he dropped on her every time. She counted down to three in her mind, then like nothing was bothering her, she replied kindly.

“Just the usual, George. Trying to keep up with this huge crowd inside shop.” She answered with a gently smile. The gorged looking man chuckled and he was ready to come up with a striking return but before he even had a chance an utterly bored voice disturbed him.

“Your coffee is ready, Sir.” Tweek placed down the steamy beverage on the counter and for a second, he wished he could be a total asshole, so he would be OK to spit in someone’s drink. Nonetheless he loved his coffee, and would have never done anything to disgrace it, also he wasn’t even close to be that badass. On his way to collect his drink a frustrated sigh escaped from George’s chapped lips.

“Time flies when I have a chance to glance on you, Annie.” Complained the man. Annie did not respond, but Tweek jerked. “Thanks, boy.” Nodded to the barista, and grabbed his drink.

The two co-workers were ready for his departure but before he stepped outside, he hastily looked back to the young woman and waved her goodbye with a blink. Which he thought made him even more charming. Behind the counter she awkwardly waved back and felt relieved when the man finally left.

“Geez, this son of a bitch.” Expressed her feelings toward the guy, while she tried to shake down the disgusts from her face.

“Why are you so nice to this dickhead?” Groaned Tweek and looked into her eyes. His dark blue orbs were tinted with slight anger and spite. He really can’t stand this guy.

“Maybe, but just maybe, because in contrast to my beloved manager, I at least try to keep the few customers we have?” Annie asked offensively.

She turned her back to the entrance and rested her weight on the edge of the counter. She took her phone from her pocket and checked all of the new notifications she received in the last half an hour. Tweek still being a bit pissed, just shrugged off the insult and squatted down to reach for his leftover coffee, which he kept on a shelf under the coffee machine. It was his second one today, and he already craved another one. He felt the brunette’s eyes resting on him. Those bright blue eyes which resembled the color of the open sea on a sunny summer day. He peeked up only to meet her tenderly smiling face, and he couldn’t keep his grudge any longer. He grinned back. The peace was once again restored. After a while he was the one who took a hold of his phone to check his twitter account. Saying he didn’t have a lot of friends was a polite statement. Hence, he mostly just followed politicians and read the news, but that was enough for him, at least that’s what he wanted to believe…

The next customer arrived a couple of minutes later. A petite woman with heavy makeup. Her hair was perfectly blow-dried and her magenta colored lips matched the high heels she wore and the shamelessly tiny costume which showed way too much skin. She restlessly grumbled violently about her latest date on her phone. Her voice was full of cruelness and distaste. The woman scratched out her wallet from her bag, and not even saying hi to the workers, with her card in her hand cued the girl to put her usual order in the cash-register. Annie nodded and she was ready for the payment.

“Extra hot, skinny latte with sugar free caramel.” She stated it loud, even though Tweek was already making her drink. Both knew way too well what she drank, but Annie still felt the need to say it out loud just in case the woman wanted to change her mind. Which she never did. Tweek felt like he’s continuously losing his sanity with each moment the woman spent in the shop. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t keep her annoying voice – which bubbled up all of her disasters – out of his mind. Every. Fucking. Day. She lived just on the corner, and wouldn’t miss a day to give them a visit. He should have been grateful for her unstoppable loyalty for the last couple of years. But really, he just couldn’t get used to her. Way too noisy and flashy and generally too much. Annie didn’t mind though, she reminded her to her untie.

The harpy left exactly the same way she arrived; theatrically and annoyingly. She didn’t even walk out of the shop when the first group of students arrived. Two guys and three gals. Annie briefly looked at her watch again. Seven twenty-three _._ She sighed gladly, because this meant that it would be finally lively around here. At least for the next hour, before the first classes begin.

Around forty-five minutes – and twenty-one customers – later, the morning rush started to chill down. A bigger gang of undergrads, who managed to arrive early, occupied a large table with a massive couch in the corner. They were busy with checking each other’s essays. Those who turned up later just asked for a takeaway and continued their walk. The shop itself was fairly close to the university, so they could get there by foot. However, the student accommodations and the mall were on the other side of the city, which made the café less appealing for most of the students. Only those who lived or took part-time jobs in this area dropped in.

Annie was deeply engaged in a conversation with their latest customer. A heavily tattooed mixed Asian girl with neon orange hair and a strong British accent. They had a full-on discussion all the happenings of the winter break. Tweek never cared enough to remember her name, but he knew that the two were pretty close friends, despite looking like they came from different worlds. The girl with the extraordinary appearance popped in regularly for a drink. Steaming hot black tea with milk and a biscuit as she called it.

Their chat came to a sudden end by the sound of the doorbell.

“Good morning.” Annie greeted the newcomer, her friend’s body covered most of the view, so she couldn’t really see who entered the shop. The British girl waved her goodbye, and quickly turned around to be on her way. Both of them froze for a second as their eyes fixed on the stranger, a young man around their age they had never seen before. The tall, athletic looking fellow stood in the middle of the shop, silently glaring at the huge menu board above the counter. The brunette girl gazed at him. He had a sharp jaw line, perfectly arched nose, soft-looking lips and almond shaped amber colored eyes. “Ca-can I help?” She stammered. Her heart skipped a beat when the guy’s attention focused on her. She turned slightly red under the weight of those golden tinted eyes. All of a sudden, she felt naked.

Tweek twitched from the uncomfortable tension which slowly creeped inside his backbone. His colleague hardly ever stuttered, as a matter of fact, he wasn’t even sure if he had ever heard her doing that. He turned around to see what has gotten into her, and like that, he became aware of the giant’s existence. Even from a couple of feet away he still looked like a fucking titan. Sadly, Tweek himself was not fortunate enough to belong to the tall men’s club. All thanks to his petite mother and 5’9 dad. Tweek stopped at 5’8; but this guy was tall, around 6’5. He envied him.

At the same time, he found him kind of ridiculous. He was wearing a shabby blue chullo, under which some raven strands of hair tried to escape. He matched it with a grey hoodie which felt unfit in the middle of winter. With frowned eyebrows his gaze followed the stranger as he came near the counter.

“Americano to takeaway” He stated with a monotone but astonishingly deep voice. He didn’t wait for any response, just took out his wallet from his back pocket where his card had been.

Annie nodded and mumbled some kind of response, but it was way too quiet for anyone to understand. Her face wasn’t red anymore, yet her heart was still beating fast. She looked back at the barista, not being sure if he heard the order or she needed to repeat it. However, her manager was already in the process of making it.

Only took about a minute for Tweek to finish the coffee. He stepped back from the machine, turned around and was ready to hand over the beverage. He twitched in surprise as he suddenly found himself face to face with the black-haired guy. Well, face to chest would have been more accurate… Their eyes met for the very first time, and while the blue orbs were full with emotions, the amber colored ones were simply bored. Tweek looked closely at him for a second, but the other guy was so deadpan, it was hard to tell what was on his mind. Feeling anxious, he broke the eye contact.

The stranger didn’t wait until the other one let go of the precious liquid, but moved quickly to get hold of it. Their fingers touched for a brief moment.

The nameless customer grabbed a sugar sachet from the cabinet and poured its content into his idly swirling source of energy. Finally, he turned his back to the blond man, and left the shop towards the university, and moved the cheap plastic cup to his mouth. When the drink moved away from the guy’s mouth, Tweek could swear he saw the smallest satisfied smile appear on his lips, melting away a second later. Although, at this point it could have just been an illusion, a shadow created by the frosty winter sunlight…

***

“Tweek” Annie’s soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “Mind if I take a break?” She asked, receiving an approving nod from her boss.

She gently touched his shoulder as a sign of gratitude and walked into the backroom. When she disappeared, he leaned his hips against the countertop, a modest smile resting on his face. Even the smallest touch from her was enough to make him feel all mushy inside, but the thought of the unrequited love tinted his heart with bitter-sweetness. He knew that Annie was sitting on top of the dishwasher, having a phone call with Hannah, rambling intensely about their recent customer. Whenever she was excited, she tended to gently bite on her lip and tuck some hair behind her ear. Tweek knew her too well. During the years they have been working together, his feelings towards her slowly but surely grew into an unstoppable flame of longing. He hated being jealous, so for the sake of his own peace, he hoped he would never see the face of that irritating womanizer ever again.

With a faint sigh, he deeply inhaled the warm, slightly steamy air, feeling the growing heaviness of the dark circles under his eyes, he shut them. Out of the blue, he felt really tired.

From his previous experiences in life, Tweek was already aware that he was not the luckiest of all. Therefore, it didn’t take him by surprise that the next morning the shadow of a certain giant appeared from a distance. He clenched his fists the moment the black-haired man shuffled inside. His damn chullo hat was soaked from the snowstorm. It was snowing since last night. Tweek shot daggers at the handsome devil, the bitter taste of anger swirled inside his mouth. He glanced at his colleague; a lecherous smile crossed Annie’s face. Realization hit him hard; his treasured peaceful, happy days came to an end. Once more, he silently prayed for their new customer’s disappearance, but luck still wasn’t on his side.

The young man with the dull amber eyes returned – around the same time – every weekday. Annie started to put more make-up on, and eventually changed her plain dark T-shirts into form-fitting ones. Tweek’s hatred toward his unwanted rival grew with each perfectly made coffee he handed to him…

***

At last, Saturday morning rolled in through the café’s entrance, and the blonde barista welcomed it warmly. He delightedly hummed the upbeat song playing in the radio. Saturday morning meant peace and no students, which hopefully also implied to his newfound enemy. Annie was having her day-off, instead of her, Hannah was standing behind the counter. She uninterestedly turned the pages of a magazine, her shoulder-length ginger hair fell over her face. She lightly thrummed on the countertop, following the beat of the song. She had freshly manicured baby blue nails.

It was around half past nine when the doorbell greeted a new customer. Ice cold blood run through his veins when he turned around. It was _Him,_ again. _The chullo guy_. The redhead girl put her magazine down and straightened up. Her mood lightened up the second she laid eyes on him. That was certainly the guy she heard so much about from Annie.

“Hey, what can I get you, handsome?” She purred.

The guy was busy with typing something on his phone, so the flirty question stayed unanswered. When he finished, he sighed and crossed the room with gigantic steps.

“Americano, please.” He began utterly deadpan, Tweek’s hand already reached for a takeaway cup, when suddenly he continued. “Make it for here.” He stated it mostly for the barista. Tweek raised an eyebrow, their eyes locked for a brief moment, which felt like forever. Then he slowly nodded. He got anxious from the unexpected change, not knowing the reason behind it. He felt like the whole word got tighter around him, and he wanted to escape. He gently grabbed his left wrist.

“Right on it!” Answered Hannah. “Anything else?” She asked pointing at the croissants. “They’re still warm.” A gorgeous smile rested on her lips, for a very long second, silence was the only response she got.

“Alright then, give me one.” He decided after all. He quickly paid, then began his walk to the side where the barista worked his magic, but the girl’s voice made him stop.

“Just take a seat babe, we’ll serve you when it’s ready.” For a split second he looked confused, but nodded in understanding. He chose a small table facing the counter.

Tweek couldn’t figure out why she seated him, when he only needed maybe one more minute to finish the drink. But then he saw the excitement on her face and realized what was going on. Although he couldn’t care less if Hannah started dating the guy, there were two things which made it a really bad idea. First, he didn’t want any tensions between the girls in the shop. Secondly, he would have rather welcomed North Korea bombing his place than this guy hanging around in the shop more than he already did. So he made a decision, it made him sick, but it felt like the safest way to keep that tiny peace he still had in his life.

“Hannah, could you ple-please refill the fridge?” He stuttered with increasing nervousness. Her green eyes looked disappointed; she was ready to protest when Tweek continued. “Please? I will take care of _him_.” He slightly nodded to the raven man’s way. He didn’t wait for her response, just grabbed a tray and placed the ordered drink and pastry on it. He didn’t even realize that he unconsciously added a sachet of sugar as well. He lifted it from the counter and began his walk on the path of hell, followed by Hannah’s saddened moan.

The young man was completely focusing on his phone when Tweek arrived. Without a warning he hurriedly tossed the tray on the table and was ready to leave when a sudden voice crashed his plan.

“Thanks.”

He winced as the unforeseen acknowledgement took him by surprise. Their eyes met again. His face still unreadable while he was gazing into Tweek’s blue orbs. For a second, he thought maybe he just hallucinated the appreciation, which would not have been the first time tho…

After a long and awkwardly silent moment the nameless guy tore his gaze away to pour the sugar into his coffee. A pathetic growl slipped through between Tweek’s lips as his right hand spasmodically enclosed around his left wrist. His face was warming up, he bit on his lip vigorously and nodded with unease. Then, he rushed off. When he arrived to his safe place, he finally started to ease up a bit. He needed a coffee. Right now. Double espresso was the cure of his soul.

He feared unexpected situations the most, especially if it involved talking to strangers. It was way too much pressure. His heart thudded like a speeding train, he worried it might burst out of his chest.

The scent of the steamy hot brew lessened his anxiety, although he did not dare to look in the giant’s direction for a long time. As a result, he couldn’t notice those amber tinted eyes resting on him with curiosity.

Twenty-three minutes later – which felt like an eternity for Tweek – the unwanted customer was still sitting there. He took his hat off a while ago, and boringly gazed through the frosty glass. All of a sudden, his phone went off, the sound made the two man jump a bit.

The man answered the phone.

“Finally.” He breathed out without even saying hi. With that, he stood up, put his chullo back and headed out.

As he went outside, a luxurious looking red car swiftly parked in front of the shop. Mr. 6’5 stepped closer to the vehicle, opening the passenger’s door. Thanks to the tinted windows it was impossible to tell who was sitting inside. Instead of jumping in, the black-haired man just tossed his bag on the seat, then straightened up again turning around to face the café’s entrance once more. Inside the shop, the green and blue orbs questioningly glanced at one another. He hurried back to the counter, his speed and the frustration on his face made the two workers temporary puzzled. This was his first real emotion they saw. Hannah looked at him with confusion.

“Skinny cappuccino with sugar free vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon on top… Please.” He chocked out.

“Stay in?” Asked Hannah with a dozen questions swirling in her mind.

“Hell, no!” He groaned.

The girl handed back some change, after that, the man dashed closer to the barista.

Tweek felt distressed under the pressure of the gazing ambers resting on him. Making a cappuccino takes longer with all the steaming, swirling, pouring than an americano. Those extra seconds were killing him.

He passed the finished work over to him feeling jittery.

“Thanks, dude.” The guy’s voice still sounded a bit annoyed but his face was emotionless as usual.

“Sure.” Tweek replied, feeling agitated. This was the first time he actually said anything to him, and it definitely wasn’t the conversation of his life. They stared at each other for a brief second, then they drifted apart. The man left the shop again, this time, for real.

Inside the car the raven-haired man glanced toward the café, his sight rested on the blond man who was busy chatting with his co-worker. The vehicle started and they drove off.

“Do you think it was his girlfriend?” Came the buzzing question from Hannah.

“How should I know?” Groaned Tweek, busy with wiping a table.

“Must be.” She decided. “I don’t know any man, who would choose such a girly drink.”

“Your brother drinks hot chocolate with whipped cream and star-shaped, golden sprinkles on top.” He shrugged.

“He’s ten!”

“Could be his mom.” With all honesty, he was bored with the topic, wishing to get it over.

“Come on, with a car like that? I doubt it.” She sighed, desperate for more knowledge.

In the end, Tweek couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I’m taking a break. Want something from the store?” He announced, untying his apron.

“Oh, a BLT sandwich would be great.” She looked at him cheerfully, he nodded. “Thanks, boss.”

Tweek stepped outside. It was pretty cold and he could see his breath. The snow crunched under his boots as he walked away. He searched for something inside of his hoodie’s pocket. When he found it, he eased up a bit. He took a worn-out little case filled with hand rolled cigarettes. He chose one and lit it. He deeply inhaled and his anxiety melted away. He let out a soft puff of air and continued his freezing walk of disappointment. Saturday morning didn’t feel so peaceful anymore…

***

The next days went by without any unexpected events. The raven-haired guy came back on Monday morning, looking blank as ever, asking for a takeaway americano. Annie, Hannah and Natasha were all in a euphoric mood. They all fell for him. Even though he didn’t care enough to greet them, and hardly thanked anything.

Tweek did not enjoy the situation. He got grumpier with each passing day. Every time the other man was there, he felt like he was being watched. However, when he looked up to meet with those amber orbs, they were focused on something else. It freaked him out. He feared his hallucinations were getting worse. He made a note to himself to call his doctor for an appointment.

Eventually, Friday evening knocked on the shop’s door. Tweek was alone, ready to close for the day. Usually Natasha took the late shifts on Fridays, but this week she had a group assignment which they needed to finished by Monday. So, Tweek covered for her. Annie tried to stay after her shift but he sent her home. Tonight was dead, he didn’t want her to waste freetime just to stick around.

It was just after eight, already pitch-black. He turned the open/closed sign on the door, and went back behind the counter to begin the boring process of cash counting. He was in the middle of the task, when a sudden storm came down. It was a vicious thunderstorm. The downpour was so thick, he could hardly see anything outside.

For a moment, he though he saw a shadow standing outside in this wicked weather. He shooed the idea away trying his best to stop his imagination.

After a while an abrupt thunder startled him, he twitched, and some coins fell out of his hand. Quickly kneeled down to collect them, when the sound of the bell alarmed him of the opening door. He forgot to close it! Standing up with the speed of light, ready to fight or flight.

A man in a full black outfit stood in the door, completely soaked. His face hidden under the hood.

Tweek’s mind went nuts; the anxiety and fear overwhelmed him.

_Is this man a robber, a murder or a rapist? Will he die tonight? Would his death be quick or will he slowly bleed out on the floor? How will they clean up all the mess? Oh God, how will Hannah react when she finds him in the morning? Would Annie be sad, will she miss him? How will his parents react, would they even care…?_

Question after question rushed through his mind. He squeezed his left wrist nervously. _He wasn’t ready to die._

His attacker gently pulled down the hood, revealing his identity. Tweek jolted back to reality, loosened his grip on his wrist. _He won’t die tonight. Well, probably not…_


	2. I’m a Believer

It was dark, windy and cold outside. The stars were hidden behind the heavy clouds, foreshadowing the upcoming storm. Even though it was Friday evening, the streets were nearly empty. Everyone would be at home by now, enjoying a hot drink and watching TV with their loved ones. At least, that is what the young man, walking in this miserable weather, believed.

He was awfully exhausted from studying and working extra shifts. Money was tight after moving to his new place, but he loved it so much, it was worth every hour of sleep lost. He was dozy and half asleep. His legs were moving unconsciously, until the sound of his phone brought him back to reality. He looked at it, but the screen’s light blinded him for a second.

It was a message from Clyde.

_Sry bro Im sick AF, puked 3x already. Im ditching Tn, dnt h8 me! ILY_

Well, he certainly did not feel hatred toward Clyde, but he was definitely pissed. Clyde was the reason he was outside in the first place. He begged him all week to come over for a movie night, and now, he just ditched him. However, being as it was, now he could go home and get some well-deserved rest. He turned around and headed back. The thought of his bed made him _so happy_ …

He was ready to reply, when the first couple of raindrops hit the ground, shortly followed by a thousand more. He was in a rush when he left, so bringing an umbrella completely slipped his mind. He cursed himself for it.

He hid his phone inside the safety of his jacket’s pocket, then stopped and looked up to the sky. He flipped it off. It stayed unclear if it meant for Clyde, the rain, himself or the Universe.

He began speed-walking, but after a couple of minutes he felt utterly unmotivated to continue. He was absolutely soaked and even with his current pace, he still needed a good twenty minutes to get home. It seemed today was not his day. He was on the verge of giving up, playing with the idea of just laying down on the wet street and wait for the storm to pass by, when he saw something from the corner of his eye.

It was that coffee shop he visited nearly every day since he moved. It was on his way to the university so it was pretty convenient, but most importantly, they made damn good brews. The lights were still on, even though the neat letters on the sign stated it was closed. He glanced inside and saw the blond barista guy standing behind the counter, busy with something.

He stood outside in the rain, playing with the idea of going inside. His place felt like an eternity away, he was cold and tired, and needed a cover until the storm dies down. But still, the chance of the door being already locked was hanging in the air. The image of him trying to open it unavailingly while being watched from inside seemed pretty awkward. And he really hated to make a fool of himself.

He was in the middle of considering his chances when a thunder distracted him. He watched as the blond guy jumped and then disappeared. He let out a hesitant sigh and made up his mind.

He pushed the door in, and it moved.

When he entered the place, the hidden barista got back on his feet and freaked out. His eyes widened as his whole body trembled. _He looked like such a spaz_.

The intruder lifted his right hand and pulled the hood down from his head. The blond man relaxed a bit when he recognized the other. There was nothing to be scared of, they knew each other. Well, they knew each other by sight… at least.

“Hi.” The ebony-haired man greeted the anxious guy, but the following uneasy silence made the situation quite uncomfortable. Only the sound of the big drops of water plopping on the floor from his clothes broke the stillness. “There’s a storm butchering outside.” He pointed behind his back. He patiently looked in the other’s eye, then continued after not receiving any response. “So…?” His face did not show it, but he felt uncomfortable, maybe this was not such a good idea after all.

“Oh! Yeah… umm, come in?” That was the first thing that had left Tweek’s lips after he calmed down, not being sure if it was a question or an invitation.

“Thanks dude. I’ll just wait until it chills down a bit.” He declared, and brushed his fingers through his black hair. It was wet, and stuck together. But after he finished playing with his strands, he was unsure what to do. Being social with strangers was not his cup of tea.

Tweek stayed behind the counter, staring at him across the room, slowly shifting on his feet, lips tightly closed. Anxious thoughts flooded his mind. This entire situation seemed so unreal that he could not absorb it.

The raven-haired man turned his head, fixing his eyes on a table close by, this act made Tweek realize that he should say something.

“F-feel free to-to take a seat.” Forced the sentence out of himself, despite not being keen on the idea, and quickly turned his attention back to recounting the money. Not daring to look up.

The black-haired man nodded as he sat down. He faintly shivered in his soggy clothes. His wet skin was so cold it felt like his bone marrow began to freeze. His eyes rested on the rain covered window separating them from the gruesome weather. He saw the reflection of the blond guy on it and the small, monotone noises coming from the counter made him sleepy again. Until now, he completely forgot how tired he really was. He was trying to stop his heavy eyelids from closing permanently when his phone buzzed again. The realization that he forgot to answer to Clyde’s first message hit him the moment he saw the second text appear on his screen. He texted him back. After that, there was nothing preventing him from falling asleep. He was ready to kick in the door of the sweet and tender Land of Dreams, when a sudden bang pulled him back to reality.

The giant guy glanced outside, still no sign of the rain giving up, so he looked over towards the counter. The barista finished with the money counting and now he looked hesitant. They locked eyes for a brief second, then the amber orbs moved down and settled on something. He skeptically raised one of his black eyebrows.

“So… Tweek” He mumbled, while the called man stared at him with a shock.

“Ho-how…?” Tweek gasped, eyes widened. He choked on some air, looking like he was having a panic attack.

The other man pointed to the blond’s chest, and the blue eyes followed it. Feeling relieved, Tweek let out the air he did not realize he was holding. On the left side of his apron, above his heart a small nametag bravely stated his name.

“Oh… makes sense.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling ridiculous for letting his anxiety overwhelm him again. A light shade of pink tinted his face from the embarrassment. He wanted to disappear.

The raven-haired man found his reaction so freaking amusing, that a small chuckle escaped through his lips. He could not take it any longer, he was holding it back ever since he realized how easily the blond guy got flustered. It was fascinating for him, like watching other’s reaction when he flipped them the bird.

“Jeez, dude. You’re such a nervous wreck.” He smirked then stood up and walked towards the blond, who looked shocked from the unexpected behavior. When there was only the counter standing between them the soaked young man extended his right hand. “Craig Tucker.”

The blue eyes suspiciously danced between the offered hand and the amber orbs. The smirk which surprised him just a second ago was already gone. The other’s face went back to its usual emotionless state. He swallowed his doubts of this being just a prank and accepted the handshake. Craig’s hand was cold and strong.

“I’m Tweek… Tweak.”

“Yeah, I figured, but what’s …” Craig began but he got cut off before he had a chance to finish.

“It’s Tweak. My name is Tweek Tweak.” He said it with an awkward shallow smile.

“You joking?” Craig’s voice sounded skeptic

“No.” Tweek lightly shook his head, boredom painted his blue orbs. He heard this question at least a million times already.

“Dude, were your parents high or what?”

“Yeah… Possible.” A harsh and frustrated laugh burst out of Tweek. It surprised the other man, he never heard the blond laugh before, he sounded shattered and exhausted.

“Anyway,” Craig carried on with an uncaring tone, even though he was curious. “I wanted to ask if you need any help.” Tweek looked confused, so he continued. “I mean it’s a disaster outside, and it’s not like I have better things to do.”

“Oh, that’s kind of you,” Tweek began, rubbing the back of his neck. “but actually, I’m done.”

They looked at each other with uncertainty. Craig was ready for being kicked out in the rain, which definitely was on Tweek’s mind, but then he noticed just how soaked the other was. The gigantic man looked cold and Tweek felt bad for not noticing it earlier. Well, he noticed, he just did not process it. A sudden guilt of bad hospitality creeped up on Tweek. As much as he disliked Craig, he knew he would not be able to sleep if he let someone down. His throat bobbed as he swallowed and then let the words out into the hazy air, they framed into a sentence with heavy burden.

“It may sound weird, but… would you li-like to come upstairs?” Tweek blushed from embarrassment.

Craig Tucker blinked, but did not even budge. His face stayed unreadable. It looked like he did not hear the question or just did not care, but in reality, he was deeply in thoughts. There was a guy blushing in front of him, asking to go upstairs with him. It was not the first time for Craig to be invited for a quickie, but it was unexpected from this Tweek guy, and it took him by surprise. However, before he could even respond, the other continued.

“Don’t get the wrong idea man!” Tweek burst out, and grabbed a chunk of golden hair. He felt so shamed realizing how this all sounded after he said it out loud. He just wanted to sink under the floor. But the damage was already done. “I-its not that… I just… like… I mean… Fuck!” He grunted, still keeping a hold on his hair. “It’s still raining and I’m living upstairs! And you’re totally soaked dude, so I wanted to help!” He panted, shaking a bit as he drowned in the river of his anxiety.

It all made so much more sense to Craig now. Although he felt a bit disappointed.

“That would be great, thank you.” He nodded and waited for the blond man to calm down and took him upstairs.

“I… I’m just gonna lock the shop.” Tweek rushed out of the counter to the door. He did not feel this shitty for years now. He felt humiliated and sick of his own stupidity. He wished he never invited the other one, that was a stupid idea. _Why was he such an idiot spaz all the time?!_

Locking the door and setting the alarm only took around two minutes, which definitely was not enough time for Tweek to calm down. When he finished, he nervously looked back at Craig, who patiently waited for him. Whatever was on his mind it stayed hidden from Tweek. He passed by the raven-haired man and stepped behind the counter, the other followed him closely. There were two doors. The left one was the entrance to the backroom, and behind the right one was a crumbling dark stairway to his own tiny place. Tweek gulped and opened the door. The short walk upstairs was silent, only the old wooden steps cracked under their weight.

***

There was complete darkness inside, until Tweek turned the lights on. The small apartment lightened up and they walked inside. There was no hallway, the entrance opened straight to a cramped kitchen. It had a small dining table barely enough for two people, an old-school oven probably from the eighties, a short counter, some cabins on the wall, an expensive looking coffee maker, a microwave and a mini fridge. The area had a dirty window just above the sink, and opposite the entrance was another closed door. When Craig looked at his left, he saw a second door, it was open and it looked like a bedroom. And that was all.

“Make yourself home.” Tweek mumbled while he dropped his shoes next to the door. He crossed the kitchen and entered his bedroom.

Craig did as he was asked, he took of his boots and gently placed them next to Tweek’s. When he finished, he stood there for a moment absorbing his surroundings. A faint scent of smoke lingered in the tiny room, the water was dripping from the tap and the walls looked dusky yellow under the old lamp’s light. Even though it was mostly clean and tidy it gave out a creepy vibe of a doomed roadside diner. It was not completely unpleasant though. Tweek returned to the kitchen, not long after Craig finished with the observation, with a pile of clothes and a towel in his arms.

“Here.” Tweek stood in front of Craig, trying to avoid eye contact as he handed over the clothes. “They should fit you.” He muttered and nodded towards the closed door. “That’s the bathroom.” Craig’s eyes rested on the blond for a second.

“Thanks dude.” His voice was calm and stoic when he walked away from the other man, and entered the bath.

The bathroom was much brighter, everything was white and looked like it had been recently renovated. However, it was still the tiniest restroom he had ever been to. He could hardly move around. On his left side was the toilet, in front of him within an arm's reach was a shallow sink cabinet and a multi-task mirror with shelves and towel rail and a corner shower on his right. He stood there in dead silence and listened as Tweek’s retreating steps fainted away, then he put the toilet lid down and dropped the fresh clothes on it. He slowly began to undress, and got goosebumps when the cold air met his wet bare skin. Craig looked at himself in the mirror. It was barely noticeable for anyone who did not know him, but he looked tired. His eyes were shadowy and his cheeks were more hollow than usual, he most likely lost some weight. His days were so tight he did not have enough time to sleep, work out or eat properly. He sighed with a weary, jaded look and stepped inside the shower.

A pleased moan escaped from Craig’s lips when the warm water hurtled down on his body. His skin burned and his bones began to defrost, his toes tingled. He put his head under the shower and let it completely wet, there was a tiny gap between his lips and the water quickly got inside his mouth. It felt like his entire being dissolved in the steamy hot water. He stood there like a statue, frozen in space, insensible for the passing time’s hardship. Still, his thoughts were racing in his mind. His plan was to get to Clyde’s place, let him choose a stupid movie, order some pizza and fall asleep on the sofa, while his best friend is babbling about everything and nothing in particular. This plan was _nice and boring, just the way he liked it_. But instead, he was having a shower in a stranger’s home. And although it was not the first time to end up like this, those were under different circumstances and he most certainly was not a fan of these situations.

He grabbed the shower gel and started to wash himself. It smelled like fresh peppermint. When he was done, he stepped out and let the water drip on the floor, and his body to cool down. He wiped himself off quickly and observed the pile of clothes resting on the toilet lid. There was a large white tank top, a worn out, oversized dark blue Levi’s sweatshirt and loose black shorts. He looked at them with uncertainty but then put them on anyway. He glanced at the mirror and decided he looked ridiculous but at least was comfortable and warm.

He left his damp clothes on the bathroom floor, not being sure what to do with them, and stepped back into the kitchen. The scent of smoke was stronger now than before, and it came from the bedroom, so he shuffled inside.

Craig felt petrified after he stepped in. It was semi-darkness. Only a floor lamp illuminated the room with a little help from the streetlights which sneaked through the slightly opened single hung window. There was a double bed under the window, where Tweek sat with crossed legs, his right elbow rested on the window sill next to an ashtray. He deeply inhaled a cigarette while fixing his sight on the rain. The blond man looked like a lonely spirit surrounded by faint light, ready to fade into the darkness. He cleared his throat and thanks to the sudden noise Tweek tore his gaze away from the window to look at him with his mazarine blue eyes.

“I would’ve never guessed you’re a smoker.” He stated emotionlessly though a slight excitement bubbled up inside him. Tweek shrugged his shoulders and slowly blew the smoke out of the window.

“It helps me to relax.” He sounded deeper and huskier due to his unhealthy addiction, but Craig found it pleasantly fitting for him. The blond man was quite short for a guy, and looked slender. However, he always wore baggy clothes so it was hard to tell just how skinny he really was. He had long, bony fingers, a slim face, big deep blue eyes with dark circles under them – like he did not sleep in years – and a turned-up nose. His lips were a bit cracked and dull which is not so surprising for a smoker. His tousled blond hair was long enough to cover most of his ears and forehead. He definitely was not the sexiest man on earth but he had a unique face and Craig thought it made him pretty handsome. Especially those strange blue orbs, they hypnotized him since the first time he saw them. “Want one?” Tweek asked and reached for his cigarette case.

“No, but thanks.” Craig turned down the offer quickly, and looked around in the fairly dark room. It was the biggest area in the tiny apartment. Apart from the bed, there were a TV, a PlayStation 4 and some framed pictures on a stand, a messy corner desk, a built-in wardrobe and a piano. It was a tad crowdy but not as bad as the other two rooms before. “And thanks for the clothes and the shower. You saved me from a cold.”

“Welcome.” Tweek stubbed the cancer stick out and nodded with his head toward the bed for Craig to take a seat. He was calmer now, although he was still questioning himself for letting a stranger in his home, but he could not change it anymore. He did not know how to feel about Craig Tucker anymore. He looked like a fuckboy, and still hated how Annie blushed so brightly every time this asshole walked in the shop. But now, in this stormy, cold evening Mr. deadpan actually acted politely and unexpectedly friendly, and that confused Tweek.

Craig sat down on the edge of the bed, leaving more than enough space between them. He run out of things to say, and he was never a talkative type. He always enjoyed the silence, and when it was needed, he just let Clyde lead the conversation, this way they complemented each other so well. But now there was no Clyde to help him out…

“It’s crazy how heavily it rains.” Tweek broke the silence in the end, and both men gazed outside into the darkness, listening to the soft pitter-patter of the rain on the roof and the window. It was somehow relaxing.

“It is, indeed.” Craig mumbled as silence fell on them again, but this time, it felt pleasant and for a couple of minutes they stayed like this. Until Tweek started to move and tried to get out of the bed.

“I’m gonna make some coffee, want some?”

Craig first raised an eyebrow but decided to accept the offer, he nodded slowly. He needed something warm and caffeinated, and also, he loved the beverage the blond man made. Tweek rushed out from his bedroom into the kitchen, gently pulling down the left sleeve of his olive hoodie.

Craig stood up and walked to the TV unit. His eyes wandered around on the pictures, there were three of them. The first photo was a fairly new one, probably not older than a year or so. It was a group picture of the coffee shop’s four workers. They were in a bar, dressed up nicely. The ginger girl’s hair was way longer then and she was hugging the girl with the Russian accent, who had platinum blond hair instead of her current black one. The Russian girl was holding a bottle of vodka with a groggy smirk. The third girl was sitting close by, munching on some nuts, her eyes crinkled upwards and her cheek pinkened from the booze. And next to her was Tweek with a sheepish smile and a longing look in his eyes as he stared at the brunette girl. They looked so cheerful, and a sudden nostalgia washed over Craig’s soul, he missed hanging out with his friends…

The second photo had been taken a couple of years ago. In this one Tweek was younger, probably in his late teens. He looked crap. He’s hair was longer and greasier, it touched his shoulder, and he was way skinnier, his skin was pale and his eyes were red and tired. There were plasters around most of his fingertips. However, he had a weary smile on his face, which probably meant for the loving family members around him. Next to him, stood a man, his hand rested on the blond boy’s shoulder. He had light brown hair and big ice blue eyes, and smiled at Tweek. On the other side of the father figure was his wife, a plump-cheeked woman with honey blonde hair and kind brown orbs. On Tweek’s left side were two girls. The younger one was around ten, and hold the boy’s left hand. She had a bold grin on her face, her dirty blonde hair was braided to the side. Finally, in the far end of the left side stood the second girl, she should be around the same age as the boy, although Craig doubted that they were twins. She had a typical angsty and bored teenager look on her face. Her hair was green and she wore some kind of gothic clothes. This one was a weird family picture but Craig did not have the right to judge anyone, after remembering his own family photos.

The third confused him. This was the oldest one. There were only three people on it. In the middle was this tiny blond boy, who without a question was Tweek. He was young, probably in his third or fourth grade, his face was round, his hair a mess and he had the biggest eyes Craig ever seen. He looked a bit anxious but this was not anything new. He was tightly holding a white mug like his life depended on it, and behind him was a couple. A different one than before. The man had this perfect smile resting on his lips. It did not look forced, but did not feel real either. It was a smile a model would put on for a picture. He had light brown hair, just like the other man had and grayish blue eyes. The two guys looked similar, but they were definitely two different people. The woman on the other hand looked nothing like the previous one. She was petite and delicate like a doll. She had one of the prettiest faces Craig had ever seen, it was slim with perfect skin, plumped lips, long lashes and electric blue orbs. Her soft dark blonde hair hugged her head, ending just under her chin and a gently smile shimmered on her lips. Tweek represented them so much, it was obvious they were his real parents. They looked like a perfect, happy family. But then Craig remembered just how lost and depressed teenager Tweek looked on the other picture, the one where his parents were not present, and an uncomfortable recognition hit him really hard, his heart sank. _They weren't there because they were dead, weren't they?_ Craig remembered the aching pain he felt when his grandmother passed away, he could still feel the cold void left in his soul…

The sound of the approaching footsteps threw him back to reality. Tweek arrived with two mugs of coffee, and handed one over to his guest, who was sitting on the floor in front of his tv. He himself retreated to his bed and watched as the other sipped his brew. Craig felt amazed that his drink tasted exactly like the one he ordered every time, it even had sugar in it. He questioningly glanced up at the barista.

“I-it’s… Just th-that…You always order the same.” Tweek stuttered uneasily. “So, it’s not that hard to remember.” He scratched his neck while he tried his best to focus on his precious coffee.

“It’s still pretty impressive.” Even though Craig truly felt impressed his voice sounded sarcastic, which muddled Tweek.

“Thanks, I guess?” He grimaced doubtingly. He wanted a smoke so badly, but he promised Annie to cut down on them, however, he could kill for it right now.

“No way, dude!” Craig’s sudden, loud and enthusiastic voice freaked the hell out of Tweek, he nearly dropped his beloved beverage as he jerked. He shot his head to the raven-haired man’s way. The man was holding one of his old PS4 game’s cases. It was a tad dusty but there was no way he would not have recognized it.

Craig could not stop himself from being excited. He did not like to show too much emotion in front of strangers, but what he found caught him off guard. A wave of cheerful nostalgia deluged his mind. He vividly remembered the day when the game came out. Token’s parents pre-ordered it for their beloved child, and the four of them, including him, Clyde and Jimmy planned to have a sleepover at the Black household and play all night. They were lucky enough to try it before Stan’s group even had a chance to get a glimpse of it. Cartman was so pissed, he nearly cried during recess, and that made Craig so happy. He really could not stand Eric Cartman. The sleepover was surely awesome, and they kept playing the game for the next couple of weeks. Clyde occasionally cried, of course, being such a crybaby, he did not take losing very well. It was one of his sweetest memories and unexpectedly finding the game made it impossible for him not to feel a bit elated.

“The Terrance and Phillip game? It was my favorite as a kid.” Tweek’s face broke into a shy smile.

“Same.” A childish chuckle escaped Craig’s month and this unforeseen reaction puzzled Tweek, he was sure the giant man was not capable of such emotions. But in this moment the deadpan man’s eyes luminesced with pure merriment and Tweek was unprepared for this. “You wanna play?”

The question was so simple and pure but for the blond, it felt complicated and unreal. This evening’s events were already more than his anxious mind could handle. His heart hammered. _What if Craig is the type of guy who easily gets upset during a game, and destroys his controller or his TV or even worse gets so angry that he beats him to death?! He looks like the kind of man who would do such things after all…_ However, it was still raining outside and Tweek had not gotten a better idea of what to do to pass the time. He let out a shaky breath in the end and accepted his possible death.

“Sure. Why not?” He choked out after he quickly tossed his last sip of coffee down his throat. He had a million reasons in his mind, why he should not have agreed, but he kept them for himself. He had no idea just how much his self-sacrifice meant for Craig that night. It was a life-changing moment in their lives, although none of them were aware of it at the time.

Tweek moved to the floor. He turned on the television and the PlayStation. The game was old, and he did not play it for years now, but the moment the familiar theme song started he loosened up a bit. He handed one of the controllers to Craig and sat down next to him, not too close though. After going through the settings, Craig pressed the start, and for a long time the two of them just played quietly letting the nostalgic feeling wash over them.

***

“Turn right there!” Tweek yelped as he unintentionally moved closer to the other.

“Calm down man, I know what I’m doing.” Mumbled Craig while he suddenly moved, his shoulder bumped into his companion. “Suck on this, motherfuckers!” He roared as he shot some of the enemies. “Hah!” His face broke into a mischievous smile as he glanced at Tweek. “Told ya.”

“Don’t be so smug, we didn’t win yet.” The blond teased him.

“Yet.” Craig smirked as his eyes rested on the other man for a brief second, then he turned them back to the screen.

Tweek chuckled in response, but he also returned his focus on the game. He felt good. He did not know when, but his tension melted away and he did not crave for a cigarette anymore. He could not remember when the last time he had so much fun was, especially not with a stranger. It just never happened to him before. It was bizarre but surprisingly pleasant, and he actually enjoyed himself.

“Craig, look out!” He shouted as he jumped, he heard the other swearing something under his breath. They had an adrenalin rush from the childish excitement they just experienced over the battle.

Craig did everything in his power to win, and Tweek’s ardor fueled his desire even more. But Tweek’s sudden choice of calling him by his name distracted him. He froze for a second and that was enough for the enemy’s solders to kill him off the game. The screen blackened and it was over, they were defeated.

“We were so close.” Tweek let out a disappointed sigh.

“I let my guard down for a second.” Craig groaned bitterly.

“I remembered this game to be easier.” Complained the blond man.

“Or maybe we just got rusty.” Craig shrugged.

They locked eyes, and after Tweek realized just how close they were to each other he jerked back a bit.

“It was… fun.” He muttered as he looked away, his eyes finally rested on the window. “It stopped.”

Craig followed his gaze out of the window, he nodded as silence fell on them. He looked at his phone, it was past eleven and he received two messages, one from Token, and one more from Clyde, obviously.

“I should go.” He stated motionlessly, his knees cracked as he stood up. Tweek followed him shortly. “Thank you for the shelter, and the clothes.” The blond nodded as a respond, and they walked out into the kitchen. When they arrived to the door, Craig saw a packed plastic bag next to his boots. He questioningly raised an eyebrow.

“I-I found your clothes on the bathroom’s floor so I packed them up.” Tweek said as he gently pulled on his left sleeve. Craig silently thanked him and began to put his shoes on, when he was done, he grabbed the bag and straightened up.

“I will wash your clothes and bring them back.” He said blankly, and let Tweek lead the way down, back to the shop.

It was eerie calm downstairs, and it always creeped the blond out. He quickly set the alarm off and unlocked the door. The smell of rain sneaked inside the place as he opened the door. It was dark and quite on the streets. Craig stepped outside and shivered a bit as the cold air surrounded him. He looked back at the barista.

“Thanks, Tweek.” He said with the tiniest smile Tweek had ever seen, but it felt honest. “See you.” He nodded and turned around to slowly disappear into the darkness.

Tweek rushed back to the safety of his apartment, he jumped into his bed and fixated his eyes on the ceiling. He began to count the cracks on it, while inside his mind, his anxiety fought against his weakening happiness. Even with his irking doubts which always tried to make his life miserable, the truth was that he felt good tonight. He sighed in frustration, because Craig Tucker was not his friend, but he made him realize just how nice it would be to have a real friend, which he never had before…

***

Craig quietly wandered down the streets, his eyes gazed upon the halfmoon which lazily rolled through the sky. The stars illuminated the heavens and he felt lost under their light. When he closed his eyes, he could still feel the taste of coffee in his month. He began to softly hum his favorite song as he remembered just how miraculously blue Tweek’s eyes were. He was not upset about Clyde’s sudden sickness anymore…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and again, any and all feedback would be appreciated! :)
> 
> p.s.: I'm a sucker for references so every chapter is titled after a song which was used or referred to originally in South Park.


	3. It’s a love thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the support and the kind feedbacks for the previous chapters. It really means a lot and motivates me. :)

It was Sunday morning, almost seven and still dark outside. Tweek laid on his bed with eyes wide open. He tried his best to shake his numb brain up after hardly sleeping three hours. He could not stop thinking all evening, he was overwhelmed, and the deeper the night got the darker his thought turned. A light headache snuck up on him, and his eyes were sore from hours of staring into the blackness. With an anguished groan he propped himself up against the wall and opened the window to let some fresh air in. He carelessly hit his forehead to the window sill. It was cold and relaxing. He knew he had to get up soon and start preparing the shop before opening, but he could not find any energy in his dead-beat body to move. He shut his eyes for a second to enjoy the chilling breeze. When he opened them again it was already twenty past seven. _He must have dozed off._

He yawned as he tried to rub the last bits of sleep out of his eyes and trudged into the kitchen to prepare his morning brew. The aroma of the freshly grounded coffee filled his nostrils while his hands routinely moved around the machine. When his drink was ready, he put a cigarette behind his ear and grabbed his pill case from the TV stand’s drawer while he shuffled back to his room.

He sat back on the bed and gazed outside. The wan sunlight of the winter morning gently touched his face and the cigarette’s smoke clouded his sight. He lazily watched as the city slowly awakened. He loved how quiet these days were. January was one of his favorite months, in contrast to the winter holidays, which always upset him. Everything was crowded, everyone went crazy about shopping, and there were way too many drunk folks on the streets. Once the hectic holiday season was over the world fell quiet. It seemed like everyone went into hibernation until the first flowers of spring bloomed. He swallowed his colorful pills of sanity with the final nip of his coffee and stretched his body. His spine cracked loudly as the much-needed relief took him over. He puffed out the last bit of smoke and stubbed the addictive death stick out. After his morning routine, he walked into the bathroom and quickly rinsed off. He felt pins and needles all over him under the cold water. It was painful and pleasant at the same time, and he definitely felt more awake after it.

***

It was five past eight when the shop entrance swung open and a young woman with black hair and huge sunglasses lurched inside. Tweek sighed and shook his head.

“You’re late.”

“There was a huge traffic.” She grumbled as she walked inside, her Russian accent was stronger than usual.

“Natasha, you literally live five minutes from here.”

She shamelessly approached the fridge and grabbed an orange juice which she gulped down in a matter of seconds.

“Are you hungover?” Tweek looked at her in an unapproving manner.

“Nope. I’m pretty sure I’m still drunk.” She replied and put her apron on. “Also, I didn’t sleep home, so I wasn’t lying about the traffic.” She purred with a smirk as she collapsed down on the old chair behind the counter. “Can you pass me a water and… do we still have any hangover pills left?”

“You are useless, you know?” Tweek grimaced but took a cold bottle out from the fridge and grabbed the medicine from a drawer. He handed them over to her, then took possession of her sunglasses. She had bloodshot eyes.

“I know, I know” She whispered with deepened voice. “But she was so damn sexy.” She beamed with lustful eyes. She swallowed the pills and stared at him for a long second. “You don’t look so great either. Did you sleep at all?” There was concern in her voice.

“About three hours… I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued to wipe down the tables.

Natasha let out an uneasy hum before she stood up and sneaked behind Tweek. Without a warning, her arms wrapped around his torso and tossed her head over his shoulder. She was athletic and tall, a good three inches taller than Tweek himself. Her perfume was strong, but not strong enough to completely mask the stench of booze. They stayed like this for a little while.

“What’s bothering you lately?” She questioned him affectionately. Tweek tensed up a little, he wanted to lie so badly, but Natasha was studying to become a psychiatrist, so saying that he was fine would not satisfy her. He decided to go with a half lie and hoped she would let him go with it.

“They changed my meds again.” He admitted. It was actually true, and the Russian girl was the only one of his co-workers who knew about his medication. He tried to keep it as a secret from all of them, but Natasha was too good at her profession, and she figured him out in her first week. However, she promised Tweek that she would keep his secret and so she did. Also, Tweek did not want to let her know that he was upset because Annie was falling for another guy.

“Tch.” She hissed irritated and released Tweek.

“It’s not that bad…” He insisted as he continued wiping the tables for the third time. “my body just needs some time to adjust.”

“If you say so…” Natasha’s eyes were tinted with doubt and disagreement, but she let it go. She walked to the entrance and turned the sign on it. They were ready to open for business.

***

It was just before noon when things took a sudden turn. The bell above the door greeted a newcomer with a happy chime and the two workers stood there like they were under a spell. The young woman who just walked in was incredibly beautiful. She had a stunning body; long legs, tiny waist and big breasts. She had glossy lips, emerald green eyes and curly blonde hair perfectly resting on her shoulder in a low side ponytail. She wore a bright red mini dress with a gray trench coat on top and black knee-high boots with heels. A black tote bag rested on her shoulder. Natasha’s desiring eyes were fixated on her. Tweek was also incapable of looking away from her.

“Hi.” Her angelic voice filled the air. “Can I have a skinny cappuccino with sugar free vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon on top, oh, and one of those vanilla cupcakes, please?” Then she smiled.

“Yes, you absolutely can.” Natasha smiled back at her, utterly forgetting about her hangover.

The blonde girl nodded and took some money out of her purse. Tweek started to prepare her order, then he had a strange feeling of déjà vu.

When he handed over the drink he could not bear to look into her eyes. She was so close and smelled so nice.

“Thanks.” She chimed grabbing her coffee, then moved away from the counter to find a spot to sit down. She chose a bigger table with a sofa in the corner, and pulled out a laptop from her bag. She turned it on and glanced at her wristwatch. She sighed disappointedly before she sipped on her drink.

Natasha and Tweek looked at each other, thinking about the same thing. _She was flaming hot!_

Inside the shop there were a couple more people glancing secretly over towards the blonde girl, she definitely felt the craving eyes on her, but she took them without flinching. She was most likely used to them.

About fifteen minutes later, the door opened again, and a familiar man stepped inside. A passionate grin cracked on Natasha’s face.

Tweek jerked his head up to look at their new customer. He immediately froze when his eyes locked with the amber orbs. He had not seen Craig since Friday night, and was not expecting him today. He was not sure how to treat the black-haired man from now on. Craig did not behave any different than before. He was deadpan as always. Although his eyes looked a tiny bit more alive. Craig moved closer to the counter keeping his gaze on Tweek. His lips slowly parted, like he was ready to say something when an unexpected sound stopped him.

“You’re late, asshole.” The annoyed voice came from the pretty blonde girl. Her whole demeanor changed. She looked pissed and impatient. Craig turned his head toward her and the two of them looked steadily at each other.

“I never said I will be here on time.” He stated carelessly as he walked closer to her. She rolled her eyes as a response.

Craig dropped his backpack next to her, turned on his heels and took aim at the counter, where the two workers eagerly watched every second of their show.

“Americano, please.” His nasal voice sounded strangely tired as he talked to Natasha. She nodded with a smirk and let him pay.

Tweek’s fingers trembled while he worked on the ordered drink. He wanted to talk to Craig and ask him who the blonde girl was and what their relationship was, but they were not really friends and he should not have asked such questions from a customer. During the weekend he realized he truly wanted a real friend. Someone he could hang around with and talk about girls, more specifically about Annie, and do all the other stuff good friends usually do. However, he did not want to blow whatever he had with Craig. He was eager to befriend him, even though he was still jealous of him. This was a harder task then he hoped as Craig Tucker and his emotionless face made him nervous. He could not figure him out and it made his stomach twist.

He turned around and looked up at Craig, who was already waiting there patiently. Tweek did not have time to let go of the mug before Craig’s huge hands arrived to claim his drink. His long fingers momentarily rested on top of Tweek’s.

“Thanks, Tweek.” He whispered so quietly that no one could hear him but the barista. Tweek just nodded in response and freed his hands under Craig’s.

The raven-haired man’s lips twitched briefly, as if he forced himself not to smile. It was an odd sight.

Craig returned to the blonde girl, and sat next to her. She did not look that upset anymore. He took out his own laptop and a pair of glasses from his bag. He casually put them on. Somehow the glasses made him even more handsome. Then the two of them discreetly chatted about something, they were not loud enough for Tweek and Natasha to hear them from behind the counter.

“Am I dreaming?” Natasha chimed as her eyes rested on the pair of customers. Tweek let out a shaky breath. “They are the sexiest couple I’ve ever seen.” She sighed and the blond man shot his head toward her.

“Do-do you think they are…?”

“Of course, they are, just look at them!” She yelped, and Tweek looked over his shoulder.

He watched as the blonde girl leaned on Craig, her chest pressed to the man’s arm as she was busy with typing. At some point Craig stole the girl’s cupcake and munched on it. A second later the blondie glanced up at him, and furrowed her eyebrows, she mumbled something and in response the man sighed and handed the cupcake back to her. She happily took a bite from it then turned her attention back to her work. They looked so damn perfect next to each other; it was painful to watch. A weird pang of jealousy sneaked up on Tweek.

“Do you think they would be into a threesome?” Natasha asked lustfully, Tweek looked at her in shock. “What? You wanna join?” She chuckled, keeping her voice hushed. His face turned deep red even from the idea itself, his reaction made her giggle. “I would’ve never guessed you were into these kind of things, pretty boy!” She mocked him.

“I-I-I don’t - It’s not - You just…” He gasped, heavily jittering; the way Natasha looked at him made him uncomfortable.

She covered her mouth, trying her best to keep her laugh inside. His blushful face was priceless, but before she had a chance to embarrass her manager even more, the pretty blonde girl distracted them.

“Earth to Craig Tucker.” There was playfulness in her voice and just loud enough for them to hear her behind the counter. When Tweek’s eyes settled on them, Craig was staring at the girl. A smirk rested on her lips while she leaned closer to the man and whispered something into his ears, then chuckled. As she leaned back, Craig snatched the leftover cupcake out of her hand and gorged it down in one piece.

“Hey, that was mine!” She yelled.

“Yeah, was.” Craig’s face broke into a mischievous smile.

“You’re a dick, Tucker.” She groaned. Craig shrugged his shoulders. A moment later they turned back to their laptops and peacefully carried on with their work.

“I’m gonna take a break.” Tweek announced it to Natasha, who gave him a curt nod.

There were only nine people inside excluding the two of them, he figured it would be a good time for a cigarette. As he slipped out of the shop, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He assumed it was Natasha’s, but at that moment she was busy making a shot of ass-kicking caffein bomb for herself…

After Tweek came back from his break he tried his best to avoid his partner. He rearranged the mugs and cups, refilled the fridge, checked the lavatories and wiped down some tables.

About two hours later people started to pour in, and it got too crowdy for the sexy couple in the corner. They packed their stuff, and were ready to leave. She walked in front of Craig, who shambled behind her. But just before they left, he stopped and locked eyes with Tweek, then made the slightest gesture resembling a nod. The blonde girl turned back when she realized that Craig stayed behind. She glanced at him briefly then grabbed his wrist to pull him out of the shop. And there they went, out the door, and off to God knows where.

***

It was Monday evening and the streets were packed. Tweek was on his way home with two bags full of groceries. He finished more than four hours ago, at four p.m., like every Monday. He was sweating and panting as he pushed himself forward in the river of wandering bodies. He was a good fifteen minutes away from his final destination, and he just wanted to give it all up. Shopping itself was a pain in the ass, but sprinkling it with a horde of humans walking on the streets made it even worse. He wished he was already in the safety of his home.

“Tweek?” The familiar deep voice came from behind him, he stopped as if his feet rooted into the ground. It was Craig without a doubt. Before Tweek had a chance to turn around, a big warm hand landed on his shoulder. He jerked from the sudden touch.

“Cr-Craig! Hi?” He whimpered. He felt tiny next to the gigantic man.

“Hey.” He replied with a nod and fell silent. He wore that blue chullo hat again, which looked like an odd pairing with the black bomber jacket.

“Wh-what a surprise seeing ya around here?” Tweek stuttered. Craig frowned as a response.

“On the street?” His stoic voice fueled with sarcasm. Tweek nibbled on his lip as he hummed, he squeezed the bags so tight his knuckles turned white. “I was actually on my way to the coffee shop.”

Tweek picked his head up and stared at him.

“We’re already closed.” He declared.

“I’m aware, but I wanted to give you your clothes back now, since I couldn’t make it this morning.” He explained calmly. It was true, Craig did not show up this morning in the shop as usual. And Annie looked disappointed all morning…

“Oh.” Tweek gasped, but before he had a chance to respond properly, Craig grabbed one bag out of his hand and continued his walk toward the shop. Tweek vaguely stood there for a few more seconds before he rushed after the other. He did not realize it, but since he was escorted by the giant no one dared to bump into them.

The shop was closed and empty by the time they arrived. Tweek took his keys out, and let themselves in. The beeping alarm welcomed them. He quickly turned it off, then reset it before heading upstairs. Craig followed him quietly.

Upstairs was a bit messier than the last time Craig set foot there. There were some dirty plates piled up, a stained T-shirt hung on a chair and a pair of used socks rested on the floor next to the shoes.

Tweek dropped his remaining plastic bag on the table and began to unpack it, Craig followed his example. There were a lot of frozen and fresh vegetables and fruits, snacks, cereals, some ready to eat meals, fruit juices, a pack of eggs and two new packs of tobacco.

“I assume you don’t like cooking?” Craig asked.

“It’s not that.” Tweek sighed while he kneeled down in front of the fridge and put some stuff inside. “I just- I tried cooking for myself after I moved here… but I don’t have a big appetite and somedays I’m so busy… I just forget to eat and-.”

“You forget to eat?” Craig raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“Well, yeah?” Tweek looked up at Craig as he stepped next to him and handed over some fruits. “So, the food I made spoiled in the end.”

Craig hummed in understand and did another round between the table and the fridge. When they finished with the unpacking, he sat on the chair which was not occupied by a dirty shirt, and took his hat off. His eyes settled on Tweek, who was rinsing his hands under the running water.

“How come you live here?” This question was bothering Craig since Friday.

“Oh, that- ” Tweek dropped himself on the other seat, the used T-shirt fell on the floor. “My uncle owns this place. He-he offered me this job, to work here as the shop’s manager.” Tweek kept himself busy by rolling a cigarette on the now empty table. “He let me stay here for free to save some money.” He lifted up his nearly done creation to lick it and seal it. “But it was pretty convenient for both of us” He twisted the tip of the cigarette. “and I actually like living here, so I stayed.” He put his finished work behind his right ear and locked eyes with his uninvited guest. Craig faintly bit on the inside of his lip.

“How long have you been living here?”

“Hm… I just turned eighteen when I moved in, so… over three years now?” It did not mean to be a question but the sudden realization of how quickly the time had passed surprised him. “Gosh, time flies.” He mumbled and Craig nodded in agreement. “And you? Are you a student?” Craig watched at him with blank face before he answered.

“Uh-huh.” He put one of his hands on the side of his neck, and as he slowly twisted it, it cracked loudly. “Third year in Physics.”

“No shit!” Tweek gasped with wide eyes. “You are clever.” His amazed face was priceless.

“Is that so unbelievable?” He smirked; a faint light of mischief twinkled in his eyes.

“Well, yeah? No?” Tweek felt embarrassed under the weight of the amber eyes. “It’s just- you don’t look like the scientist type.”

“What kind of guy do I look like?” Craig swapped back to his usual expressionless face.

“I-I don’t k-know.” Tweek stuttered. He did not want to hurt or anger Craig. _What if he says something stupid and Craig would never talk to him again?_ He rubbed the back of his neck; the pressure was too much for him to take. “Like a businessman? A lawyer? A hitman? Or a robot?!”

A soft chuckle burst out of Craig.

“You’re right.” His voice cracked as he tried to stop himself from smiling. “I could probably pull them all off.” He raked his hand through his raven hair, the amber orbs brightened up as his eyes slightly crinkled upwards.

Tweek was amazed at the amount of facial expression Craig showed during that short time. It was wonderous. He did not realize since when he smiled back at Craig.

“So how come I’ve never seen you around here before?” Tweek leaned back in his chair. “I mean, before you started visiting the shop regularly?”

“I used to live in the university’s dormitory up until now. It was cheap.” He shrugged. “But I needed to move out after they found out that I was hiding Stripe in my room.” Now it was Tweek’s time to raise an eyebrow. “My guinea pig.”

“You-you have a guinea pig?” Tweek stuttered in disbelief.

“Yes, Stripe the seventh.” Craig nodded and took his phone out of his jeans. He quickly unlocked it. A moment later he turned it toward the blond to show him his pride and joy. It was a picture of a black and white guinea pig munching on a piece of salad. _It was cute_.

“But why is the seventh?” Tweek looked back at Craig, after he put his phone back into his pocket.

“She’s my seventh guinea pig.”

“But why…?”

“I’m not good at giving names.” Craig reclaimed his poker-face.

“So, you just gave the same one to all of them?”

“Obviously.”

“Holy crap, man, you’re weird!” Tweek snickered and Craig cracked a smile.

A small break of silence fell on them, but it was comforting and pleasant. Both men quietly enjoyed themselves. Tweek could not remember when he stopped jittering. His anxiety was nowhere to seen and he felt good. Something about Craig Tucker’s presence calmed him. He was grateful for this brief peace Craig unintentionally gave him.

“Your girlfriend is doing physics as well?” The question just gushed out from Tweek. He was still eager to know more. Craig questioningly tipped his head to the side. “The pretty blonde girl from yesterday?” Recognition hit the black-haired man a second later.

“Bebe, no, “He shook his head lightly. “she’s an economics student. I’m tutoring her in math.” He languidly stated.

“That’s very kind of you.” Tweek said, pulling the sleeves of his brown jumper over his hands under the table.

“Like I have any other choice.” Craig grunted and Tweek gave him a confused look. “She would murder me if I refused. Have you seen her nails? She could easily kill someone with those claws.” He did not sound too scared though…

“She-she seemed like a nice person to me.” Tweek replied.

“You don’t wanna see her when she wakes up. Or when her favourite designer shoes are on sale and they run out of her size. Also, she turns into a real monster when she’s on a diet.” He sighed with annoyance.

“But you two look really great together.” Tweek shot him a glare, jealousy chocked his throat.

“I know, we look perfect next to each other.” Craig said dryly, but Tweek shook his head in agreement. “And we’re both super sexy.” He pointed his finger to Tweek. “We were voted to be queen and king of our homecoming party and once more in our prom. My best friend was so pissed at me afterwards that he nearly cried, then avoided me for two days. That was the best two days of my life.” His face broke into a pleasant smirk.

“You sound like an asshole.” The blond chuckled.

“It was his stupid decision to befriend me, no one asked him to do so.” Craig shrugged but a tad of happiness reflected in his eyes. “But anyway” His voice was calm and serious again. “she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh-But-I thought.” Tweek sat there in complete confusion.

“No.” Craig shook his head. “She’s a close friend. Although, sometimes she can be a real bitch.” He nodded. “Also, she’s not really my type.”

Tweek opened his mouth to say something but Craig’s phone rang. He answered the call.

“On my way.” He lied to whomever was on the other side of the line, and dropped the call. “I gotta go.” With that they stood up. Craig put his chullo hat back on, and began to search for something inside his bag. “Before I forget,” A pack of freshly washed and ironed clothes landed on the table. “thanks again.” He glanced at Tweek who leaned against the door to keep it open.

“You’re welcome.”

The way down to the shop was as quite as usual. After Tweek managed to let Craig out, they stood there silently, separated by only the doorstep.

“Thanks for helping with the groceries.” Tweek chocked it out. Craig completely forgot about it until just now.

“Sure, thing.” He nodded, and turned on his heel, but then glanced back at the blond and waved a quick goodbye

“Se-See ya!” Tweek yelped after him. He stood there with a soft smile on his face until Craig’s body melted into the darkness.

***

After Craig arrived to the gas station, his boss shot him a dirty look.

“You’re late, Tucker.” The short, fat man stank of cheap cologne. Craig pinched the bridge of his nose in distaste as he passed by him toward his way to the changing room.

“Sorry.” He mumbled under his breath as he disappeared behind the door.

He hated this place, but it was so convenient, only took him five minutes to get here from his place. This station was open twenty-four hours, so he could do night shifts, while it was quiet and empty, and gave him enough free time to study during his shifts. However, his boss being a real pain in the ass did not make his life easier.

He just took his shirt off when he realized that he totally forgot to ask for Tweek’s number. Craig groaned disappointedly, and bumped his head against his locker. It took him two days to come up with the perfect plan on how to end up alone with Tweek tonight. He could not ask for it in front of his co-workers. That would certainly bring even more attention to him than he already received. Which he hated by the way. Also, he wished to keep his interest in Tweek as a secret, at least for a bit longer. But now he needed a new plan again. Craig sighed in agony; he really sucked at these things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit uneventful, I know, but don't worry, things are about to happen. ;)


	4. Heat of the moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys for the long wait, we had a busy week, but I hope this chapter will make up for it ;)

The nightclub was too loud and cramped for Craig to bear that night. He just wanted to let some steam off that piled up inside of him, but he started questioning his decision. The air smelled like a mixture of smoke, sweat, alcohol and sex. Animalistic sounds left human lips as they were lustfully grinding against each other on the dance floor. Craig bitterly sipped on his fifth glass of whiskey. Well, allegedly fifth, he was not so sure about it anymore… He thought he would feel better after a glass or two, but it did not happen, at least not until now. Hopefully the sixth one would do the magic, and he could finally be drunk enough to enjoy himself. However, as he ordered his next round, he doubted it would actually work.

Tonight, was not his night. He was on edge the last couple of days. Sleep deprivation was a real bitch but Craig engaged with it willingly.

His boss asked him to do extra shifts causing him to work five nights in a row. He did not like his job, but he needed the money, so he was somewhat grateful for the extra hours given to him.

His teachers suddenly decided to increase the amount of assignments for this semester, to make his miserable life even worse. As much as he hated writing essays, he loved his current course so much that he would have read about it in his little to nonexistent free time anyway.

Of course, after classes and before work, he still took time to tutor Bebe. However, the last couple of times he fell asleep in the library while waiting for her arrival. It was cozy and quite there and too tempting for him to close his eyes just for a minute. And one minute usually turned into a tender slumber until the charming blonde beauty woke him up.

Bebe was one of his best friends and at the moment mostly the only one available to hang around with. Token studied in a different city, hours away from here, and so they hardly had any chance to meet during the semesters. Jimmy was busy with work, travelling all around the States. Finally, Clyde, his brother from another mother… He was playing football for the university. Whenever he did not have practice or a game, he tried to split into two to spend time with both Bebe and Craig. His attempts eventually failed, but Craig forgave him. He was used to share Clyde with Bebe anyway. Although he missed spending more time with his friends, he was happy for them. Their lives went on just the way they intended. Still though, the aching pain of loneliness slowly but surely spread throughout Craig’s soul. He felt like an empty glass waiting for love to fill him up with happiness and sweet memories…

He closed his eyes as he downed a mouthful of his drink letting the taste of alcohol taint his tongue. He had enough; he was ready to leave.

“Am I dreaming or is it really Craig Iamtoolazytoreply Tucker?” A man’s voice disturbed Craig’s already disastrous night. He slowly moved his head to meet eyes with his interrupter. The short, light-brown haired guy eagerly looked him up and down.

“You are definitely dreaming, and I’m not lazy, just didn’t think I needed to reply to those messages, Michael.” Craig rested his face in the palm of his left hand and began to thrumming with his right index finger. He was irritated.

“There were question marks at the ends of the sentences.” The short guy said as he stepped closer to the bar.

“Silence is an answer.”

“Not good enough, Craig, not good enough.” Michael shook his head but smirked. He lumped down next to Craig and as he leaned closer an undeniable burning desire flicked in his brown eyes. His pupils dilated either from cocaine or ecstasy, whichever he chose that night. Craig’s annoyance grew as Michael reached out; he traced the contour of Craig’s face with his fingertips then moved lower, they slid down on the black-haired man’s chest until they arrived to their final destination, Craig’s crotch.

The amber colored eyes darkened as they looked down, then they flicked back up to the other man.

“I missed you.” Michael leaned even closer and whispered into his ear. He smelled like sweat and alcohol and his closeness was nauseating for Craig.

Before Craig had a chance to reject, the brown-haired man’s lips crushed into his own ones. Craig pulled himself back a second later, a satisfied smile rested on the other man’s face. His eyes narrowed; he was not in a mood to put up with Michael right now. It would be a lie to say that he hated the brown-haired man. Sure, he annoyed Craig more often than not, and they were definitely not friends. But hooking up with him was a good way for him to relieve his sexual frustration from time to time. But not today.

Craig reached down and lifted Michael’s hand from his groin. He kept hold of the playful fingers and was ready to tell him to fuck off, but luck was on Craig’s side and a familiar black-haired girl approached them. Her name was Nell, and she was Michael’s, let us put it this way, business partner…

“Hey sweeties.” She greeted them while putting her tiny hand on Michael’s shoulder. “Long time no see, Craig!”

Craig nodded as a response. In the meantime, Michael tilted his head back, to look up at the girl. She leaned down to his ear, and whispered something to him. Michael moaned in disappointment as he stood up.

“Be back soon.” He winked at Craig before he walked away, resting his hand on the girl’s waist.

Craig heaved a sigh of relief when they disappeared from his sight. He grabbed his backpack, and shot up from his seat. It was not such a good idea, the sudden dizziness reminded him of all the whiskey he consumed not long ago. He tried his best to sneak out of the club without notice. The dancing crowd did not make it easy for him though. When he arrived to the street, he happily welcomed the cold air, it was refreshing and wakening. He opened his bag and took out his jumper and chullo. After he put them on, he began his drunk walk back home. His steps were clumsy and unstable, and his head was spinning. He tripped over a sleeping homeless man and nearly fell. The hobo swore something under his breath and Craig flipped him the bird, then walked away. He would have most likely been ashamed of his clumsiness if anyone had seen him.

***

The journey back home felt longer than Craig first estimated in his intoxicated state. The cold was hastily catching up with him during the winter night. His teeth chattered and he tried to keep himself warm by wrapping his arms around himself tightly. Watching the slow dance of the twinkling and dazzling stars was not enough to draw his attention away from the cold. He really should have brought a coat with him. After all, it was Token’s job to remind him of such trivial things, but he was not around this time. Craig hated just how much he depended on his friends.

His steps slowed down when he arrived to a familiar street. He stopped to look around; his eyes settled on one specific building. He could easily recognize it even at the darkest of the nights. The dusty, old green bricks were neatly framed around the spotless glass door. Inside, the dark, worn-out floor creaked whenever someone stepped on it. The chairs and the tables had definitely seen better days, but they were comfortable enough for anyone to spend a few hours sitting there. The fairly new looking counter and coffee machine stood out a bit though, but somehow it was still pleasant for the eye. The atmosphere of the place was charming and their coffee was the best Craig had ever tasted. But most importantly, behind the counter was this handsome man with a mess of golden hair which shimmered under the sunlight, and big, dark blue enchanted eyes…

This week he was buried under so much work he did not have any chance to came up with a plan to get Tweek’s number. He was lucky if he had enough time in the morning to come in and grab his drink before the classes started. Visiting him in the afternoon or after they closed was impossible with his current shifts. At one point, he thought to just fuck it all, he would ask him out in front of his co-worker, but that morning he was utterly tired and nearly fell asleep while he was waiting for his Americano. When Tweek’s voice woke him up, those blue eyes looked at him with pure fear, which was not surprising for Craig, he knew he had quite an angry face when he was woken up. At least that is what young Clyde said when asked why he was crying after he accidentally woke Craig up. But seeing Tweek’s scared eyes made it impossible for Craig to ask him out, so he just grabbed his coffee and left.

Now, however, he was determined to get inside. He was drunk and tired and he needed his warm, sweet coffee and the comfort of the other man’s kind face. The sign on the door undoubtedly stated that the shop was closed. The darkness consumed everything inside, creating an illusion of pitch-black abyss. His reflection gazed at him from the glass door looking at him with judgment and disapproval. Craig narrowed his eyes and silently fought against his own logical self, who tried to stop him from making a complete idiot of himself. In the end, drunk Craig won, and he reached for the handle to let himself in…

The door was closed, as expected. However, it did not stop Craig Tucker trying further. He pushed it, pulled it, banged on it, and even knocked on the unfortunate door as a last desperate try, but nothing seemed to work. He began to play with the idea of breaking in, it would not have been the first stupid thing he had ever done while being young and fueled with alcohol.

“What the --?! Cr-Craig?” The unexpected voice came from high above, and Craig shot his head up quickly, too quickly. His head started spinning as he tried to focus his eyes on the blond man, who leaned out of his window.

“H-hi Tweek… hi.” Craig squeezed it out as he battled with the awakening nausea inside his stomach.

“What are you doing?” Tweek looked at him with pure confusion.

“I tried to get inside to buy a coffee.” Craig replied as he tried to put his blank face on. Which he though he nailed, however Tweek’s shocked face implied otherwise.

“A-Are you drunk?!” The question burst out from the blond after a brief moment of silence.

“No.” Craig blinked, and unintentionally did a step back, the motion made him lose his balance for a second which caused him to fall against the door.

“Yes, you are!” Tweek shouted from the window, fighting against a smile which tried to appear on his lips. Drunk Craig was so different from his usual being, his clumsiness made him somewhat adorable. Which was strange and new, but somehow it suited him just as well as his usual deadpan attitude.

“No, I’m not.” He resisted, but it just pushed Tweek to his limit, and the blond burst into a fit of laughter.

Frist, Craig wanted to flip him off, but then his eyes settled on the other man’s face and he completely forgot all about it. That was the first time he heard Tweek laugh so lively, and it was filled with happiness and joy. His blue eyes glimmered and the street lights painted his pale face into a golden shade. In Craig’s intoxicated state Tweek looked like a mystical creature from the fairies’ far away land. It felt like thousands of butterflies hatched inside his stomach. His cheeks were warm, and not just because of the booze.

“Gi-give me a s-sec.” Tweek snickered and disappear from the sight before Craig even had a chance to nod.

All of a sudden, the world seemed entirely still as Craig was left alone in the cold night. The only sound piercing through the silence was his own heartbeat…

A faint light appeared in the back of the shop as Tweek slipped through the door to the stairway. Craig impatiently watched as the dark shadow moved closer to the entrance. A second later, his own reflection fused with the blond man’s shape on the glass. Childish excitement flickered in their eyes, the kind a child has when they sneak out from home with their friends in the middle of the night. A clicking sound told Craig that the door was open, Tweek pulled the door quietly to give enough space for the raven-haired man to enter the shop. The air was so much more pleasant inside. Craig’s cheeks and fingers burned as they began to warm up.

“Come in.” Tweek whispered in the darkness while he rushed towards the stairs. Craig did what he always did, followed the blond silently.

Tweek vigorously swung his door open, and hurried inside his cozy home. The sudden light blinded Craig for a moment, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Tweek walking toward his coffee maker.

“Take a seat.” The blond ordered him, not even looking back, as he deeply focused on his current task.

“Thanks.” Craig mumbled as he dropped his bag on the floor, and followed the blond’s order. Sitting down was a good idea anyway, since he still did not trust his legs. He took his hat off before his eyes settled on Tweek as he worked his magic. It was the familiar sight Craig saw nearly every morning while waiting for his drink. He watched the blond work so many times now, that he knew the barista’s every move by heart.

“Your order is ready.” Tweek announced it as he turned around with a mug in his hand. A soft smile curled in the corner of his lips.

Tweek looked so much more relaxed now than ever before, and the calmness softened his face and brightened his eyes, and that smile… Craig’s stomach flipped. The blond man’s change of demeanor would have been suspicious for him any other time, but taking his drunken state of mind Craig did not think twice about it, just enjoyed the moment.

“I’ll pay for it later.” Craig hummed as he took the mug from Tweek, his fingers were soft and warm.

“It’s on the house.” The blond smirked and walked toward his bedroom. He did not need to say anything for Craig to follow.

Fresh and freezing air rushed inside the room through the window. But it was not enough, the air was still heavy and smokey mixing with the smell of the burning winter scented candles. Tweek froze the moment he saw his bed as they entered the room. He just realized how stupid he was. Soon enough Craig’s eyes landed on the little pack resting on the bed, next to Tweek’s cigarette rolling kit. After that, it did not take Craig too long to figure out why Tweek was in such good spirits.

“Did you just smoke weed?” Craig asked, although he did not need an answer. He looked at the blond man, his eyes were wide open as panic and anxiety washed over him.

“Ple-please don’t tell anyone.” He whimpered shamefully as he anxiously tugged on the hem of his light blue sweatshirt. He twitched in surprise when Craig’s hand landed on his shoulder. His blue eyes widened before he tore his gaze away from the black-haired man to scrutinize the dirt on the floor.

“I won’t tell anyone.” Craig gently squeezed Tweek’s shoulder.

The blue eyes looked up at him with thankfulness.

“Thanks.” Tweek nodded and grabbed his left wrist. Craig’s hand slipped off his shoulder. “It’s not – I mean, I’m not –” He shook his head and puffed some air out nervously.

It was nearly two in the morning; he was tired and high. Due to Craig’s sudden appearance he completely forgot about hiding the evidence. Even though, Craig said he would keep his secret, Tweek’s brain stayed in straight panic mode. _What if Craig despises him and never talks to him again once he sobers up?!_

“Tweek, calm down.” He spoke in his deep, sedate voice while he crossed the room to stand next to the bed. He glanced at the pack of weed, then looked back at the blond man. In the darkness of the room, the light coming from behind Craig, gave him a radiant golden silhouette. His amber eyes were softer than usual, maybe because of the alcohol or he tried to reassure Tweek, but whatever the reason was, it worked. There was something about Craig Tucker’s stoic presence and calm atmosphere that comforted Tweek like no one else before. “It’s not like you’re the only one in this room who smokes sometimes.”

“Yo-you do?” Hope and relief filled Tweek’s blue eyes, and Craig let his lips curl up a bit as he nodded in response.

“I used to do it a lot when I was a teenager, nowadays, not so much though.”

Tweek finally found the strength in his legs and moved closer to the other man. He sat on the edge of the bed and fixed his sight on the tiny pack of hemp; he squeezed his knees before he began to speak.

“Honestly, I don’t do it too often.” His voice sounded tired, tinted with bitterness. It was something new, Craig never heard before. “I only use it when I run out of all other options… When my body screams for sleep, but my mind can’t rest. Doesn’t matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking, and it’s pushing my body to its breakpoint.” Tweek glanced up at Craig, those big, bright blue eyes of his lost their shine, the light had faded in them. Craig’s stomach twisted.

“Why can’t you sleep now?” There were probably a million other question he could have asked, but Craig chose this one, hoping that the answer would be something simple.

Tweek closed his eyes, his jaw felt tight and his muscles tensed. He was deep in though. _Would it be OK to tell Craig? How much should he tell him? How should he know if Craig was someone worth his trust?_ The air around Tweek felt heavy, and he could hear his own heartbeats, his head hurt from the battle between trust and fear. Should he open the Pandora’s box of his secrets which can cause him to lose everything precious to him? Probably not…

Craig’s eyes patiently rested on Tweek. He saw how the blond man suddenly tensed up. His shoulders lifted and brought forward, his lips tightened and his fingers twitched. Suddenly Craig felt guilty, even though he did not mean to put that much pressure on Tweek with his question. He ran a hand through his raven hair before he sighed.

“You don’t need to tell me, if you don’t want to.” As Craig said, Tweek opened his eyes and turned his head towards him. A sense of guilt appeared in those gold-colored eyes. And that was enough… Enough for Tweek’s longing heart which craved for trust and love.

“They changed my medicines about two weeks ago.” Tweek paused for a second to clear his through. “At first, I though it’s working but then it made me feel…” He stopped again, grabbing some strands of hair and pulling them with a gently shaking hand. “…edgy.” His palms were sweaty. “I can’t fall asleep. And when I finally do fall asleep, I have nightmares… So…” His voice broke.

Craig stood there in complete silence; his eyes were glued on the other man as he processed what he just heard. Tweek’s words sobered him up quicker than a bathtub filled with icy water. It was not actually what he said, but the way he said it. It felt like he just confessed a murder.

“That sucks.” Craig announced his statement and looked down at the steaming coffee in his hand, which he completely forgot about until just now. He began to snip it, it was warm, bitter and sweet at the same time. Just the way he liked it. He did want to know more about Tweek, but he was uncomfortable with emotions, and he always sounded more sarcastic than he meant to be. He grew up in a family that was famous for not showing too much emotion. It was not like they did not care; they just did not feel the need for revealing their feelings. Whenever Craig ended up in a situation like this, especially if he truly cared about the other, he always ended up feeling pretty uneasy.

Tweek shot his head up in surprise. He did not expect that kind of reaction. He gazed at Craig who was just standing there, drinking his coffee calmly, as if Tweek had just told him he had a broken nail. His uncaring behavior was somewhat comical, and strangely enough it helped Tweek to ease.

“Yeah…” Tweek burst into a laugh. “You’re right, it sucks!”

A soft smile crossed Craig’s face as he sat next to the blond man. They were so close he could feel the warmth of the other man’s body. He picked up the little plastic bag from the bed.

“Does it really help?” Craig did not look at Tweek while he spoke, he kept his eyes on the pack, but he felt how the blond tensed up again. Craig thought he would not get an answer, but eventually Tweek opened his mouth and began to speak.

“Mostly… yes.” He nodded and then he let his head fall down, gazing the dark floor under his feet. Craig hummed in understanding; they fell silent for a while.

“Let’s get stoned.” Craig announced his decision in the end.

“Wha-What?!” He stuttered while he turned his head quickly, looking at Craig with shock and disbelief.

“Wasn’t it your plan before I interrupted you anyway?”

“I-It was…” Tweek leaned back a bit to keep some space between them. “I mean, yes, but…”

“Then let’s do it.” Craig encouraged him and gave a little pat to blond’s knee. He smirked and his eyes flickered mischievously.

“You just wanna get high, don’t you?” Tweek locked eyes with the other man, who kept smiling at him.

“Maybe.” Craig replied and handed the pack of weed over to Tweek.

“Alright, I’m in!” Tweek finally smiled back at the raven-haired man.

Tweek shifted to the middle of the bed, and began to prepare their smoke, while Craig drunk his coffee and kept his amber orbs on the blond man. His hands moved flawlessly, there was no hesitation, they knew exactly what they were doing. Once he finished, he stood up, and rushed out of the room.

“Want some water?” Tweek shouted back to Craig from the kitchen. The black-haired man looked at the empty mug he placed on the floor next to the bed.

“Yes, please.” He replied just loud enough for Tweek to hear. Craig listened to the sound of the running water and the clicking melody of the glasses.

A minute later Tweek returned with two huge glasses of water, and put them on the window sill. Then he crawled back into the bed next to the window, and signed to Craig to come closer. The giant lifted his legs from the floor and moved closer. They just sat there quietly, facing each other until Tweek lifted the cigarette to his lips and lit it. The recognizable smell of the marijuana filled Craig’s nostrils, and he watched the glowing ember as the blond deeply inhaled. When he exhaled, he turned his head away to avoid the smoke getting into Craig’s face, then took another round before he handed it over.

Tweek’s blue eyes followed Craig’s every move. He watched as the other closed his eyes before breathing in, then moved the stick away, giving just enough space for his lips to blow out the smoke. It slowly floated in front of his face; his amber tinted eyes glowed through the smoke. A weird pang of jealousy settled in Tweek as he noted that it did not matter what Craig Tucker was doing, he always looked perfect. Life was truly unfair.

“So…” Tweek began before Craig passed the cigarette back to him. “You were out with your friends?”

It took a couple of seconds for Craig to understand what he was talking about. Then he remembered that it was way over two a.m. now and he casually tried to break into the coffee shop not so long ago.

“Hm, no.” He hummed and drank some water. “Those assholes decided to stay home, so I went alone.”

“Isn’t it weird to drink alone?” Tweek asked him, raising an eyebrow before he closed his lips around the cigarette.

“You’re never alone in a club.” Craig replied. “Also, I had a really busy and hard week, so I just needed to let some steam off.”

“Did it work?” Although the question was simple it took Craig some times to find his answer, but after he locked eyes with Tweek’s big, mazarine blue orbs he did not need to search anymore.

“In a way, yes.” He smiled and grabbed the cigarette which was handed to him. “And you? Do you go out often?”

“Do I look like it?” Tweek let out a harsh laugh, before he shook his head. “No, not really. I used to go out a lot, when I was younger, but never really enjoyed it. It’s just too…” Tweek bit down on his lips while he thought about a way to put it. “much.” The blond felt stupid for not finding a better way to describe his feelings, but Craig’s eyes looked at him with understanding.

“I get it.” He nodded than passed back the smoke to Tweek. His eyes wandered around the room until he finally noticed something that piqued his interest. “Do you play the piano?”

Tweek turned his head around and his sight settled on his precious instrument.

“Yes.” A tender smile appeared on his face. “I was around seven – eight years old when I first saw a man playing the piano in the middle of the mall. I remember feeling entirely enchanted. His music completely filled me with emotions I’ve never felt before. My heart was racing, and I instantly fell in love with the piano.” He tore his gaze away from his instrument to look at his long bony fingers. A faint melancholy crossed his eyes. “However, I betrayed my love and stopped playing for a while as a teenager, I got back into it when I moved here. But sadly, I don’t have a lot of time to play these days.” He sighed. “And you? Do you play any instruments?”

“Not really.” Craig said bluntly. “When I was in fourth grade, they forced our class to learn to play on instruments, but I sucked at it.”

“So, you are not perfect after all!” Tweek said with a little bit too much joy in his voice. Craig raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’m a pretty good singer.” He stated.

“Really?” Tweek’s eyes widened in surprise. “Would you sing something?”

“Would you play something for me?” Craig asked him back playfully.

“Maybe I will.” The blond nodded with eyes glimmering in excitement.

“Then I will as well.” Craig felt a warm, soft feeling in his chest as he watched the blond man stub the stick out. He felt so relaxed and light, and also hungry… “Do you have some snacks?”

A huge smile cracked on Tweek’s face before jumping out of his bed to leave the room. He soon came back, however, it felt like forever for the impatiently waiting giant. When the blond reappeared, he had a bag of tortilla chips and a pack of gummy bears with him. That sight made Craig so happy, he could not stop himself from smiling.

“Thank God for Doritos.” Craig sighed in relief as he took possession over the savory snack.

“You know, I was the one who bought it.” Tweek reminded him pointedly as he opened the pack of gummies and began to munch on one.

“And thank God for Tweek Tweak.” Craig said around a mouthful of chips. The sight was so comical it made the blond man giggle. Even though Tweek knew Craig was just joking, he was touched. It was heartwarming, no one had ever said they were thankful for his existence.

“By the way,” The blond moved around to get a hold of his phone. “can I get your number?” While he asked, he threw his iPhone towards his companion.

Craig struggled between feeling glad and sad. Now he did not have a chance to ask the blond for his number, not like he came up with a new plan since he failed the last one. But it was kind of embarrassing for him just how easily Tweek did it. He put the bag of snacks down and shamelessly sucked the seasoned tortilla dust off of his fingers before he wiped them on his jeans.

“You could just wash your hands, you know.” Tweek grimaced.

“Too much effort.” Craig replied and grabbed the phone. It was pretty beat-up, the edges were scratched, the screen was cracked and the home screen was a simple picture of a forest. He carefully typed his number, and checked it at least three times before hitting save, then handed it back to its owner.

“Thanks.” A satisfied look rested on Tweek’s face while he read the number and pressed it. A quiet buzzing sound came from kitchen, that was Craig’s phone ringing. Tweek dropped the call a second later. “And that’s my number.”

Craig nodded as he laid down on the bed. His feet landed on the floor and his eyes were glued to the ceiling. Tweek moved himself in a more comfortable position as well. He leaned against the wall and brought his knees to his chest crossing his arms around them.

“I-i don’t have a lot of friends” The blond began. “But it was so much fun playing with you the last time.”

“Even though we lost.” Craig hummed and reached for the tortilla chips again.

“Yeah… even though we lost.” Half a smile appeared on Tweek’s face, he spoke slower and quieter than before. “But still, I really enjoyed it.” Craig nodded in agreement. “Do you think we can…”

“Sure.” Craig interrupted the other before he even had a chance to finish his sentence. “Pass me some gummy bears.” He ordered the blond and lifted his hand in the air. Tweek rolled his eyes but he was still smiling. He dug into the bag and took out a bunch of colorful bears. He carefully placed them in the raven-haired man’s palm.

A satisfied hum escaped through Craig’s lips as he chewed on the first one.

“The yellow’s the best.” He decided.

“I don’t know.” Tweek took one out from Craig’s hand. “I prefer the green ones.”

After that they just quietly munched on their snacks, sometimes stating something about the gummy bears or their favorite flavor of chips. The time passed slowly until suddenly Craig stood up.

“Gonna pop to the bathroom.” He announced it before he shuffled out of the room.

While Craig was away, Tweek began to blink more and more, his eyes felt heavy, and he knew his body would not hold up any longer. However, it was the first time since forever that Tweek did not want to fall asleep. Deep down he was afraid that when he wakes up next, this would just turn out to be a dream. The idea carved into his mind and fractured his heart. He just wanted a little more time with his new friend…

But his body betrayed him this time, and pulled him into a much-needed deep slumber.

***

When Craig came back from his little trip, Tweek was already asleep. The blond man’s even breathing filled the air. Craig stepped closer to the bed and closed the window, then went to the other side, where Tweek slept.

“Seriously?” He mumbled under his breath as he watched the other in disbelief. _How could anyone fall asleep in a position like this?_ Tweek’s lower back was still resting against the cold wall, his left leg crossed under the other, while his right knee was still pulled to his chest and his head rested on it. His left arm crossed around his right leg, as the only thing keeping him stable.

Craig leaned closer to Tweek and he gently brushed some golden hair away from his face, his cheek was soft and warm.

“You shouldn’t sleep like this.” He whispered into Tweek’s ear, before he placed one of his hands on the sleeping man’s back and slowly lifted Tweek’s left leg up, just enough for him to slip his arm under both knees.

He waited a little to see if the other wakes up, but he did not receive any reaction, so he pulled the blond man closer to his own chest, engaged his core, took a deep breath and lifted the other in the air. After he straitened up, he stayed in place, looking at the dreaming heartthrob in his arms. Without any warning Tweek unconsciously snuggled against his chest. The butterflies awakened inside Craig’s stomach, as he held the blond tight to his chest. He watched the calmly sleeping man as he lowered his head. He did not give himself enough time to talk himself out of what he was planning to do. He nuzzled into the tousled blond hair – it smelled like smoke and peppermint – and he hinted the gentlest, softest kiss on the top of Tweek’s head.

He did not want to let him go, but that was not really an option. His arms may be strong but they had their limits. He took a step to the side, and placed the unconscious man back on the bed in a more comfortable sleeping position. He covered Tweek with a blanket and moved away from the bed, to blow out the candles. Darkness fell on the room, and only the sound of the sleeping man broke the silence.

Craig crawled back to the bed next to Tweek, and fixed his eyes on the shadows resting on the ceiling. He was close to falling asleep when a quiet whimper hit his ears. He turned to his side and saw the blond man twitching in his slumber. He recalled what the other told him earlier that night about having nightmares.

Craig frowned slightly as he bit his lip. A memory suddenly entered his mind. He remembered the time when his sister, Tricia, had nightmares. She always sneaked into his room after she woke up. Weeping like a baby, she asked Craig to let her sleep with him. He lifted his blanket and let her crawl under it. But she was still shivering and crying softly.

 _“Calm down Trish.”_ Little Craig mumbled half asleep.

 _“But what if the monsters come back for me?”_ She cried. She was barely older than six and Craig just turned ten, but being ten meant he believed he was a big and strong boy. Stronger than any monster and braver than any knight.

 _“Come here.”_ He sighed, and pulled his little sister closer, crossing an arm over her. _“If we sleep like this, I will be there in your dreams.”_ He said and squeezed his sister. _“And I will protect you from every monster.”_

 _“You promise, Craig?”_ She asked with a broken voice, but tightened her tiny hands around his big brother’s strong arm.

“I promise.” Craig whispered into the dark night, and pulled Tweek closer to himself, hugging him tightly. He closed his eyes to enter the land of dreams, making sure to keep an eye out for any monster that dares to sneak into the kingdom he swore to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy that I could finally write this chapter! This was one of the first parts of the story I came up with.  
> I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it :)
> 
> Any feedback would be much appreciated! 
> 
> P.S. Kudos to the world's best husband who helps me editing the chapters.


	5. Poker Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading and supporting this story, it means a lot, really!

It was warm, so warm and comforting… Tweek could not remember the last time he felt so good and refreshed after he woke up. The blanket around him was so soft and nice to the touch, the arm draping around his stomach made him feel safe. Lively sounds hit his ears. Cars moved along the street, people chatted and when he paid enough attention, he could hear the doorbell chiming downstairs. The quiet snoring behind him tickled his neck. Years passed by since he felt the comfort of another body next to him. He missed this feeling so badly.

_How long was it really, five – six years now?_ He could still remember her scent, her slim body and her tiny soft boobs. That million-dollar smile she had, her dark hair, long lushes, thin lips and those sharp hazel eyes…

He took a deep breath and let his lips curl up a bit as he instinctively tugged the hugging arm closer to himself. He received a low moan as a response, and that was when realization hit him pretty hard. Girls do not have such deep voice!

His eyes snapped open once he became aware of the situation. He wanted to move and run away but the arm which embraced him so gently a second ago, now tightened around him. He let out a small whimper as he started to panic. _There was no way for him to escape. He would most certainly die!_ His attacker moaned again before letting him go, then shifted away.

“Morning, Sunshine.” The mumbling voice was familiar even though it was huskier than usual.

Tweek propped himself up, and turned his face toward the other man.

“Cr-Craig?!” He sounded raspier. An irritating feeling inside his dry throat made him cough.

The sleepy black-haired man sat up and yawned, did not even bother to cover his mount. He twisted to grab one of the half empty glasses of water from the windowsill and handed it over to the choking blond.

“Here.” Craig’s features were stony and his eyes were still dark and foggy from being just awoken.

A thankful nod came from Tweek once he took possession of the glass, he poured the lukewarm water into his mouth and gulped it down as fast as he could. When he finished, he wiped down the mixture of water and saliva from his mouth with the back of his hand. It was enough time for the memories from the night to come back to him and he managed to calm down a bit.

“When did we fall asleep?” Tweek asked as he looked around in his room, everything was the same as usual, except the half-naked giant in his bed. “And why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” His eyes stayed at the black-haired man just a little bit longer than it was necessary.

With a shrug Craig closed his eyes and leaned back to the bed. He had a headache and most certainly was not ready for waking up.

“Around four but I’m not really sure, and I got hot.” He answered the questions, then pulled the blanket over his head and turned to his other side. Unintentionally stealing it from and making the blond exposed to the cold air.

Tweek tried to blink the last bits of sleep out of his eyes. _Was Craig really planning on going back to sleep?_ He curiously glanced at his phone, but when he saw the time, he jumped out of the bed quicker than lightning.

“Shit!” He grumbled as he bolted out of the room.

The cattle and rattle coning from the kitchen impeded Craig from falling back to sleep.

“Dude, you’re too noisy!” Craig complained from under the blanket, but it turned out not to be enough to stop the noisy blond.

“I’m so-so late! My shift starts in an hour!”

Craig moaned in surrender and slipped out of the bed. His knees cracked and popped as he stood up and dragged himself to the other room. Tweek just rushed out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth when he arrived to the kitchen.

“What time is it now, anyway?” He sounded grumpier than usual as he gently massaged his temple with closed eyes. But once noticing the sight in front of him, a small chuckle made its way out through his lips.

“Iftsreafyalefen!” Tweek mumbled around his toothbrush, the half-naked giant lifted his eyebrows. Tweek took out the brush to repeat his answer. “It’s already eleven.”

When the blond realized just how stupid he must have looked, he felt embarrassment spread across his face in the form of heat. He turned around and dashed back to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. His heart raced fast as he spit the toothpaste into the sink and splashed some water on his face. He was still uncomfortable with what he felt this morning when he was embraced by the other man. _Even if just for a moment, it felt so good_. The ice-cold water helped him to calm down, he took a moment to pull himself together before he went back to the kitchen.

He found the semi-nude giant crouching in front of the fridge.

“Do you have something to eat? I’m starving.” Craig asked him as he stood up. For the first time, Tweek looked him up and down. The other man was in really good shape. His slightly tanned skin made his muscle definition even more visible. His abs were popping. He definitely worked out a lot. The giant man’s ebony mane was a complete mess, and dark circles appeared under his bored, uniquely colored eyes.

Tweek swallowed hard before he averted his gaze.

“I-I-I have some fruits, I guess?”

Craig hummed in disappointment while he closed the fridge, and plopped into a chair.

The guilt of bad hospitality washed over Tweek before a brilliant idea popped into his mind.

“Just wait a sec.” He asked the other man nicely and rushed to the stairway.

Craig sat there still, and his eyes followed the blond as he disappeared behind the door. He looked down at his lap, where his hands rested. The same hands that hugged Tweek tightly only a couple of minutes ago. Lost in thought, he interlocked his fingers and circled his thumbs around each other.

When Tweek reached the bottom of the stairs, he took a deep breath before he opened the door and peeped out. As it was Sunday midday, the shop was pretty much empty and Hannah was busy checking her Instagram, sitting on a chair behind the counter.

“Hey Hannah.” Tweek whispered as he sticked his head out from the stairway. Hannah looked up from her phone confused.

“Oh, morning boss!” She welcomed him and stood up to walk closer to the blond man, who was hiding behind the door. “You still have like an hour until your shift, so what are you doing downstairs?”

“I-I ran out of food, and I just woke up, so…”

“No way, did you sleep until now? That’s rare!” She gasped in pure surprise. Her soft brown eyes shimmered of proudness, and her pink lips curled upwards. She stopped only a couple of inches away from him.

“Yeah… Uhm… Well…” Tweek stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyway, can you pass me like two croissants and uhm…” He continued while his eyes scanned through their selection of pastries and cakes. The memory of Craig eating his friend’s cupcake popped into his mind. “and a vanilla cupcake.”

“Whoa.” Hannah looked at him in pure disbelief, and without any warning she reached up and placed her soft, warm palm on Tweek’s forehead.

“What are you doing?” The blond man squeaked in shock and shook her hand off of him.

“Sorry boss” Hannah locked eyes with him. “I though you’re ill.” She mumbled and gave him a kind of smile that begs for forgiveness. “You’re acting different than usual. I mean, I never see you eat a lot, so I guess you just caught me off guard.”

“No, I’m sorry. Really, I’m just kind of hungry today.” Tweek shook his head. His voice was soft but shaky.

“Sure thing, boss, just give me a sec.” She turned around and dashed back behind the counter, grabbed a brown paper bag and put the pastries in it.

“Thanks Hannah.” Tweek spoke quietly. “I’ll be here on time, I promise.” He said and closed the door behind him before he climbed upstairs.

Hannah tore her gaze away from the door and sat back to the chair. She knew Tweek for nearly two years now, and had never seen him act so strange. He was the kind of guy who needed to be reminded to eat, and would definitely not eat that much for breakfast. Something was off, Hannah could feel it, but she could not put her finger around it. Soon, she gave up and turned her attention back to her Instagram. She had twenty-five unread messages and one hundred and two new comments waiting for her to reply. She sighed tiredly, and tucked a stack of bright red hair behind her ear, being popular on social media was a burden sometimes…

When Tweek returned, Craig was still sitting in the same spot, patiently waiting. His golden tinted orbs locked on him the moment he entered the kitchen.

“I got you something.” Tweek announced proudly and placed the paper bag in front of Craig.

The black-haired man curiously eyed it before opening it, and took out a croissant. His eyes flickered with satisfaction.

“Thanks, Tweek.” He munched on it delightedly.

Without a response, the blond sauntered over to his coffee maker and began to brew his own liquid breakfast. The smell of fresh coffee and the sound of the machine filled the air. When the two drinks were ready, he took a seat oppose to Craig who was busy chewing on the first pastry. The noriette nodded gratefully when he received his beverage and turned the bag towards Tweek, who shook his head slowly.

“It’s all yours.” He said before taking a sip of his drink.

“You’re not eating.” It was not a question. A faint light of concern washed over the amber eyes.

“Nah, I’m good.” Tweek smiled around his mug.

Craig let out a resigned hum before continuing his breakfast.

Tweek leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, the steaming mug of coffee kept his hands warm. The dull light coming from the bedroom and the tiny kitchen window was barely enough to lighten up the area. Even though he hardly slept more than six hours, it was the best sleep he had in a long time. His eyes were not as sore as usual and his body felt lighter. His mind was calm and his heart ticked with unexpected delight. He kept his eyes closed as he listened to the soft noises coming from the other side of the table. Craig swallowed hard on a mouthful of pastry, then came a short pause before Tweek heard him pull the coffee mug closer to himself. There was a brief moment of silence, then slurping and a satisfied sigh followed by a sudden noise of the creasing paper. Tweek took another sip of his drink. Happiness warmed his body like the first sunny day after the long cold winter, with the hope-giving scent of spring in the air. He was alone for so long now, he forgot how wonderful it felt to share his morning with someone else. He wanted to open his eyes and watch Craig, but it would have been creepy and he did not want to scare the other away from him. Now that they were friends. So, he kept his eyes closed and just listened, imagining how the raven-haired man would look like. However, a faint heartache sneaked upon him as he realized that his newly found happiness would disappear soon, leaving him alone with the monsters from his past who always accompanied him in cruel pleasure. The demons’ shadows slowly closed around him, making his hair stand on end. He shivered as he heard their low whispers coming from the far distance. His eyelids shot up, and he looked around to try and calm his distressed nerves.

“Are you… alright?” Craig’s low voice sounded concerned.

“Ye-Yeah.” He stuttered and cast his eyes down, he did not dare to look at Craig. “I-I just remembered…” Tweek stood up, with his mug in his hands. He kept mumbling but it was impossible to understand. He walked into his bedroom at a pace, leaving Craig alone with his thoughts.

Tweek reached inside the drawer of his Tv stand and pulled out his pill case, quickly opened it and took out his daily dose.

“Please, just keep me sane for a bit longer.” He whispered his pray with a heartbroken tone before dropping his meds into his mouth and washing them down with his bitter coffee. He felt a slight pain in his left wrist…

When he returned to the kitchen, Craig looked at him with a face that was impossible to read.

“You OK?” His voice sounded deeper than usual.

There came the question Tweek did not want to hear let alone answer it. He glanced at the raven-haired man holding the cupcake. Tweek relaxed and let a weak smile slip on his face.

“You like cupcakes?” Averting the question. Craig was kind enough not to force him any further. His eyes softened and followed Tweek as he slumped back into his seat.

“Uh-huh.” Craig nodded and took another bite. “They are pretty good.”

Tweek bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling, there were some crumbs and sugar dust around Craig’s lips.

“Which is your favorite?” He asked, keeping his eyes on the black-haired man, who quickly made a decision without really thinking about the options.

“Vanilla. It’s simple and tastes nice.” Craig shrugged looking at the blond’s shimmering blue eyes.

“I guess that’s true.” Tweek snickered. He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, the half-eaten cake was in his face, held by a giant hand. It nearly touched his nose. He jerked his head back. His eyes darted between the cupcake and Craig. “Wha…”

“Eat it.” Determination flowed in Craig’s sight.

“Huh?!” Tweek breathed out in disbelief.

“You really should eat something.” The way the raven-haired toned his words sounded more like an order than a suggestion. His eyes narrowed at Tweek as he pushed the cupcake closer to the blond’s mouth giving little to no chance for the other to protest.

Tweek opened his mouth and took a bite of the sweet cake. He felt his face heating up. Craig was right, it was simple and nice.

“You know you could just take it from me, right?” Craig repressed a laugh as he watched the other man nearly choke to death after his question.

“I-I-Fuck!” Tweek coughed, gasping for air, his cheeks turned into a charming beet red color. “I-I’m so-sorry!” He whimpered, forcing himself to look anywhere but at the other man.

“No, that’s fine.” Craig replied and placed the leftover cake on the table. He glanced away from the blond. “It was kind of… cute.” He raked his right hand through his jet-black mare and moved it down to his neck.

Tweek shot his head up in a mere second with his eyes wild open, he did not know how to respond. He was not even sure if he heard him right or just hallucinated things again. However, something suddenly caught his eye, making him forget about his embarrassment.

“You have a tattoo?!” He did not mean to shout but he was still unable to control his emotions.

“Well, yeah.” Craig spoke softly, tilting his head to look at the inner part of his right bicep.

“Ho-How did I miss it?” Tweek babbled, leaning forward with his blue eyes glued on Craig’s arm.

“Hell if I know.”

Craig stretched his arm out and twisted it for Tweek to examine it. The tattoo was beautifully made, the artist was definitely talented. It was a piece of art, not just a patch of black ink. It pictured the night sky. The full moon was surrounded by faint clouds, and its huge body shimmered through them softly. Where there were no clouds the stars sparkled brightly like tiny fireflies. A shadow of a mountain with a few spruces blended into the background. Under the night landscape a sentence drew the bottom line of the picture.

“The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby.” Tweek read it out. “That sounds nice… and it’s a cool tattoo. Does it have any meaning?” He asked.

Craig gazed at the art on his bicep and gently touched it before he looked back at the blond.

“It’s a memento.” He said it quietly with a broken smile, melancholy painted his golden eyes darker.

Tweek’s heart sunk. He wanted to know more, but he could not bring himself to ask about it. He may not have known Craig for long, but he could always recognize heartache. He knew that feeling way too well. Without thinking, he placed his palm on top of the other man’s hand.

“It’s really nice.” Tweek smiled reassuringly.

Craig looked deep into his blue eyes and a soft smile cracked on his face. It was weak, but grateful.

“That’s the least after how much I paid for it.” He let out a dry laugh, but then he leaned closer to the other man. “Hey, aren’t you working today?”

“Oh, shit!” Tweek jumped up, taking his hand away from Craig, looking around in the kitchen to find his phone. His eyes filled with panic and concern. “What time is it now?! Hannah’s gonna kill me if I’m late!”

“Tweek, calm down, it’s only eleven forty, and also…” Craig sighed, the warmth of Tweek’s palm slowly disappeared from his hand. “aren’t you her boss?”

The blond man sat back to the chair and took a deep breath. _Craig was right, he should relax…_

“You should finish this.” Craig handed the forgotten cupcake to Tweek, who looked back at him blankly.

“I’m really not hungry.”

“Would it help if I fed you again?” A mischievous smile crossed the giant’s face. Tweek felt the heat coming back to his face. He immediately grabbed the pastry out of Craig’s hand and devoured it in one piece. Nearly causing his death, though.

“Just so you know, some would kill for an opportunity like this.” Craig let out a breathless laugh, watching the other’s attraction.

“Well, I’m not like the others…” Tweek barely managed to choke it out. A sly smug stayed on Craig’s lips through the entire time.

“I guess you’re not.” He shrugged “We should get ready.” He said and stood up dragging his feet towards the bedroom.

Tweek followed him in agreement. Inside the room Craig rummaged through the bed to find his lost shirt and jumper. It was not too hard to find them. He pinched the bridge of his nose as soon as he put them on and the stinking smell of smoke and sweat filled his nostrils.

Tweek stepped closer to his wardrobe and took out a clean flannel shirt. He turned his back to the other man as he changed quickly. Thank to that, he could not see the burning desire in those amber colored eyes which were fixated on him.

“Are you on your own today?”

The question surprised Tweek, and it took him some time to figure out what the other meant by that.

“Oh, no.” He shook his head and turned back to face Craig again. “Annie’s coming to help out after one.” A longing smile curled on his lips as he remembered the beloved girl.

“Annie?” Craig narrowed his eyes as he pinched his eyebrows closer.

“Ohm, yeah!” Tweek’s voice had some hidden excitement which made the other tense up slightly. “Yo-You know, the girl with brown hair and bright blue eyes… and pretty smile.” He mumbled while he gently massaged his neck averting his gaze from the other man.

Craig’s eyes darkened; he could not remember any pretty girls. Well, maybe except for that red head one, she was somewhat pretty, but that’s all… However, the soft pink tone on Tweek’s cheeks made his stomach twist.

“You have quite a bald taste, you know?” He scoffed but tried to calm his thought down. _He should not show too much emotion._

“Don’t say that! She’s a really nice girl.” Tweek came back at him, Craig bit the inside of his mouth in disappointment. Tweek did not deny the accusation.

“Whatever you say.” He shrugged, acting like it does not bother him at all.

“Don’t act so high and might, like your taste is any better.” Tweek grumbled with red face. He did not plan to tell Craig about his crush just yet, and it made him anxious. He squeezed his left wrist tightly as he shifted on his feet.

Craig raised his eyebrows with surprise, before he plopped down on the bed and sighed in defeat.

“You may be right.” He tilted his chin up, and gazed at the ceiling.

“Huh!” Tweek yelled victoriously and eased a bit. “So, what’s your type anyway?” He asked wonderingly. He was actually curious what kind of girls Craig Tucker was into.

Craig hummed thoughtfully. He kept his head up, but closed his eyes. All those painful memories of his previous crushes, which he tried to bury deep inside himself, flooded his mind at once. His heart sunk and pain spread throughout his chest. He lowered his head and locked eyes with Tweek. The blond man gazed back at him anxiously. Craig noticed just how deep blue those eyes were, they reflected every emotion of his soul. It was like a stormy ocean and Craig wanted to dive right in it. He wished he could lose his fingers in the soft, shining golden hair, pulling him closer and ghost his own lips against the other’s. There was so much lust and desire piled up inside of Craig, but he did not see these feelings reflecting back at him from Tweek’s eyes. And that was killing him.

“Straight men.” Craig spoke up finally and gave his answer with a blank face.

Tweek stood there still, blinking rapidly like he needed a reboot. Shock and uncertainty painted his face. His heart thudded so rapidly he could hear it loud and clear. It was an answer he would have never expected and he was not sure how to process or react to it. The only thing he was certain about was that he felt hot, and a knot clogged his throat.

“Are you… joking?” He pressed out the question with a frown, his throat was dry and his voice shaky.

“What do you think?” Craig returned the question. A devilish smile bloomed on his face as he winked at Tweek. Then burst into a fit of laugh as he saw the other man’s blue eyes widening so much that it looked like they would pop out any moment.

The sound of Craig’s laughter filled the room and Tweek realized the other was just teasing him.

“Fuck man, you’re weird.” Tweek chuckled while he felt a strange feeling lurking in his guts.

“So-sorry.” Craig stuttered while he tried to stop laughing. He smiled but inside his heart ached. “Although” He cleared his through. “I wasn’t completely lying.” He sounded serious with a deadpan face, but his eyes were piercing through Tweek’s soul. “I really am gay.” Tweek stopped giggling immediately and swallowed hard. There was no sign of Craig lying.

“I-I see.” He muttered and cast his eyes down. He really wished to smoke right now.

“Are you disgusted by me?” Craig’s voice was so quiet, Tweek could barely hear him. It sounded like a whisper in the wind.

“No, of course not! I would never… It just surprised me.” Tweek did not know why but he was heartbroken from the accusation that he would ever feel like that toward Craig… Or anybody, really. “But you know what?” He sounded more cheerful as he walked towards Craig and squatted down in front of him. Craig’s eyes were emotionless as he looked at him. “It just means, I don’t need to worry about you steeling all the girls from me.”

“You sound just like my friends.” Craig smiled at him. It was forced but he tried his best to make it believable, however, his eyes did not show any emotion. His phone vibrated again inside of his pocket; it was at least the tenth time this morning. He ignored it until now, but he was in a desperate need of a distraction, so he took it out and glanced at it. It was a message from Bebe. “We should go, it’s already noon.”

“Shit.” Tweek groaned and busted out of the room towards the stairs.

Before he opened the door, he turned around his heels and rushed back to the bedroom blindly, which caused him to bump into the walking giant. He nearly fell, but Craig’s arms quickly grabbed him by his waist and wrist. 

“You OK?”

“Ye-yeah… Sorry.” With closed eyes, Tweek moved away from Craig. “Can you wait here for a couple more minutes? Please?” He glanced up at the other man. His huge blue orbs reminded Craig of a puppy.

“Why?” He tilted his head lightly to the side.

“I just wanna make sure that Hannah leaves before you come down. It would be a disaster if she sees you. She would start asking questions and…”

“Sure, I can wait.” Craig nodded and walked to the kitchen table and took a seat. “Just text me when it’s clear to go.”

Tweek looked at him thankfully before darting out of his place.

Downstairs Hannah was already waiting for him.

“Sorry!” Tweek breathed out as he jumped behind the counter. He grabbed an apron and tried to tie it behind his back, but he was too shaky.

“Don’t sweat it!” Hannah’s perfectly manicured fingers pushed away Tweek’s ones to help him, and a second later his apron was securely tied on him. The man turned and faced the girl.

“Thanks, Hannah.”

“Don’t mention it!” She waved and a soft smile crossed her face. “Am I free to go now?”

“Oh, right! Yes!” Tweek blushed lightly and took a step back.

A soft giggle left Hannah’s lips as she walked towards their backroom to change and collect her stuff. A few minutes later she returned with eyes on her phone as she moved closer to the shop’s entrance. Before she left, she looked back, beaming at Tweek.

“Have a nice day, boss!” Her chiming voice filled with kindness and joy. Tweek waved at her until she disappeared from his sight.

He looked around the shop, searching for familiar faces. Luckily, there were no regular customers in the shop. A relieved breath escaped from his mouth as he grabbed his phone to message Craig. The moment his eyes settled on the other man’s name his fingers trembled. He put a strand behind his ear, and started to type. After he sent the message the nerve wrecking waiting began, his heart raced and he felt cold sweat run down his neck. Craig did not reply, but a minute or two later the door to the stairway opened and the gigantic man slipped out.

“Hey, long time no see.” Craig stepped closer to Tweek; his amber eyes were surprisingly soft as he looked at him.

Tweek lowered his shoulders, as the black-haired man’s presence calmed him. He wanted to say something but his mind was blank.

Craig looked around once he felt unwanted gazes focusing on them.

“I should go.” He said and stepped out of the counter.

The further Craig went the louder Tweek’s heartbeat drummed in his ears. The shadow of fear overlapped his soul. It reminded him of that fateful day he wished to forget forever. He knew he had to say something. He was afraid that if he did not, Craig may never come back.

“Craig!” He called after the noriette. Craig stopped and turned his head towards him, they locked eyes. Tweek feared his heart was going to burst out of his chest. “A-Are you… Will you…” He paused, his eyes were sore, and anxiety washed over him, but Craig looked at him patiently, like he was willing to wait for him until the end of times. “See-See you tomorrow?” He whimpered, hope and doubt waved in his glaring blue orbs.

“You bet. I won’t survive a Monday without your coffee.” The softest smile appeared on Craig’s lips while he gazed at the blond man. “See you, Tweek.” Said Craig turning back toward the door and walked out of the shop, leaving Tweek and his mortified nerves alone.

Suddenly Tweek felt like all eyes were on him. He twitched in discomfort and rushed to the coffee machine. Too many things happened today, and it was only noon. He needed a double espresso, or two…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I'm still not sure if I like this chapter or not. I was so frustrated the entire time I have been writing it, because I feel like my English is not up to where I wish it to be. Or maybe it was just the headaches I had in the last couple of days messing with me, I'm not sure...  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it at least a bit and let me know what you think about this chapter!


	6. Never gonna give you up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the boys are back in town! :D

“Is there a reason why you are interrupting me mid-breakfast?” The man on the other side of the phone did not sound as bothered as he wished.

Craig turned to his side on the mattress, making it more comfortable for him to hold the phone to his ear.

“Token, can you save my ass if I commit murder?”

“Who is it this time?” Token breathed out collectedly. “Clyde? Bebe? Jimmy? Or Tricia?” He continued, but Craig only responded with a tired moan. “Don’t tell me it’s Cartman?!” His voice raised uneasily.

“No.” Craig shook his head, even though, his friend could not see it. He opened his eyes for a brief second, but it was too bright, so he shut them again and carried on. His voice was scratchy. “No one particular. I’m just in a bad mood. I have a headache, and that fucking alarm didn’t stop and…”

“So, you’re planning to kill… your phone?” Token asked and Craig could tell by his voice that he was smiling. “Sorry, man, but I’m not sure if I’m good enough to keep you away from the bars if you do decide to execute your plan… I mean, slaughtering your phone? That’s a pretty serious case dude!” He scoffed; clinking noises followed his statement.

“In that case, I need to find a better lawyer.” A moan left Craig’s mouth while he pushed himself up into a sitting position. The blanket fall onto his lap.

A suppressed laugh coming from Token caused him to let a soft smile overtake his expressionless face.

“You think you can?”

“I heard Broflovski’s pretty good.” Craig said, with smug content.

“I have no response to that.” Token’s voice was blank.

A short pause followed, but soon after that both young men burst into a lighthearted laugh. Craig’s headache waned, speaking with Token was easy. He could read Craig like a book, so he hardly asked questions or cared for any explanation. Unlike Clyde. He loved Clyde, truly, from the bottom of his heart, but the brunette was such a blockhead sometimes, and he never knew when it was time to quit digging into Craig’s mind.

“Anyway.” Token began. “How have you been?”

“Honestly?” Craig leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. “I’m tired, like really tired. I got to the point where even existing is exhausting.” He sighed and pulled the blanket up to his chest. Today felt colder than the previous days, or it was the fatigue making him feel that way.

“Craig.” Token’s voice deepened.

The raven-haired man knew that if they were next to each other, his friend’s hand would have rested on his shoulder. He would look at him with his worried nearly black eyes. Craig always thought those eyes could see into others’ souls. Which honestly scared him sometimes, as Craig could hardly keep a secret from him.

“You know you can tell me any…”

“I’m fine, really. I just worked too much and school kept me busy as well.” Craig cut in, before his friend had a chance to overreact things. “But there’s a new worker starting today, so my schedule will be back to normal.”

“That’s good to hear.” Token replied after a brief break. He still sounded a bit concerned, but he did not push the topic any further. “And how is the noisy duo doing?”

“As usual.” Craig exhaled loudly, as his eyes settled on Stripe’s cage next to his bed. “They have way too much energy to fuck around.”

“That sounds like fun.” Token chuckled. Craig heard the water running from the other side of the phone.

“Easy for you to say.” Groaned the noriette. “You’re not the one who has to put up with them.” Craig stepped to his guinea pig’s cage. The little furball ran closer to his crate’s entrance, whining agitatedly.

“You may be right.” Token hummed. “But I still miss hanging out with you guys.” He fell silent.

Craig opened the cage’s door and took his beloved pet out, letting him run free in the room. His eyes followed her every move.

“It sucks that you and Jimmy are so far away.”

“Yeah.” Token breathed out. “But I’m planning to visit you guys soon. Just not sure when exactly.”

“That would be great.” Craig squatted down and grabbed Stripe before she had a chance to chew his phone’s charger. He smiled and hold her to his chest. Her whiskers tickled his bare skin. He was in a much better mood now. “Token.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

***

Tweek gazed out of the shop’s window, lost in thought. Nearly a week had passed since Craig spent the night at his place. As he promised, he came back Monday morning, and every day since. Except Wednesday, but he texted Tweek later that day explaining that he overslept. It was the first message the black-haired man ever sent to him, and it made him feel like Craig cared about him. But apart from the few messages exchanged that day, they barely talked. Whenever Craig came in, he was in a rush and only spent the necessary time in the shop. He looked a bit distanced, but honestly, he hardly talked unless the two of them were alone. He said hi to Tweek – never to the girls though – but only when they were close enough so that no one else could hear them. Tweek actually appreciated the secrecy of their friendship. He did not want the girls to start asking questions about Craig. Especially now that he knew they had no chance with the handsome giant. However, it was Saturday, which meant no Craig in the morning. Tweek thought about texting him later and asking if he was free that night. _It would be nice to hang out with him again_.

“Hey Tweek.” Annie’s sweet voice brought him back to reality. He glanced at her. She wore a dusty pink shirt with faded jeans. She had her hair into a side braid. Her beautiful light blue eyes gleamed kindly. Tweek’s heart started to race. “Is everything alright? It looks like your mind is somewhere else today.”

“Is it?” He asked facing her. Her intense gaze was always hard for Tweek to stand without his cheeks warming up. He raked his hand through his messy hair. “I’m just a bit tired.” He shrugged weakly, looking at the dirt on the tip of his shoes.

“I hope that’s it.” She smiled at him, and it was painfully lovely. “Do you think…” She began but stopped when the shop’s door opened. They looked at the newcomers.

Two unfamiliar men walked in, both of them were fairly tall, but that was the only similarity between them. They were a strange pair. The shorter guy was pale with a round face and light brown hair. He was ripped, but not uncomfortably huge. He had broad shoulders, and the muscles strained against the fabric of his jacket, proudly showing off the logo of the university’s football team. His thighs were thick and strong, and it looked like his jeans would rip at any moment. Although his body was intimidating, his beaming face showed a completely different personality. He smiled excitedly like a child and his big, warm, brown eyes were filled with joy and mischief.

The other man was a bit taller and had a slender build. He was wearing an expensive looking dark gray suit matching his dark brown skin perfectly. He had a short afro, neatly shaved at the side, with perfectly shaped beard. His face was long with a well-defined jawline, and full lips. His eyes were deep and dark like a blackhole. The serious and emotionless look on his face reminded Tweek of Craig.

The two of them stopped in front of the counter. Annie gazed at them with a welcoming smile.

“Good morning.” She said kindly. The dark-skinned man nodded back at her. However, the brunette athlete slapped his hands on the counter and quickly leaned forward. Only leaving a couple of inches between him and Annie. The girl’s eyes widened in surprise and Tweek tensed up. He was ready to fight if that asshole dares to touch Annie.

“Hey, sorry to bother you!” He beamed at her, speaking uncomfortably laud. “But is there any chance you know a guy who’s like…” He pushed himself back as he babbled, holding one arm way above his head. “Like seven feet tall?” He tried to show the height with his hand. “The girls say he’s pretty handsome! However, he always wears a stupid blue hat to hide the worst bed hair in the world!” He put his arm down but his hands did not stay still as he talked. “He has a deep nasal voice like he’s always having a cold. Which may be the case ‘cause he never clothes properly during winter and he has a tendency to sleep naked or fall asleep on a roof.” Annie and Tweek stood there frozen, listening and watching the stranger as he kept on mumbling. The other man next to him just shook his head in disagreement. “Also, he always looks grumpy or angry!” He breathed out, cupping his chin with his hand and nodding cheerfully. At least he was satisfied with his description.

Tweek’s eyes widened as he realized that there was a third person standing behind the bizarre newcomers.

“I’m only six feet three, and you know this well.” The familiar voice sounded as stoic as always.

Tweek frowned, it was a weird thing to point out, when everything else the other man said was way more insulting or embarrassing.

The brunette turned around in surprise and looked up at the third man.

“Oh, hey Craig, I didn’t hear you sneaking up on us!” He welcomed the raven-haired man with a childish smirk. “Surprised?”

“Clyde.” Craig eyed him for a second and nodded, before turning his head towards the second man.

“Token, weren’t you supposed to keep him on a leash?” He asked the dark-skinned man coldly.

“I’m quite sure that’s your job.” He replied, but a second later they smiled at each other as they shook hands.

“Hey!” Clyde yelled, but he got ignored by the other two.

“How did you even find this pla…” Craig began, but suddenly he remembered the reason why he was here in the first place. “Bebe?” He sighed and glanced at Tweek for a fraction of a second. The blond man looked confused, fumbling with his apron. He looked adorable, but Craig needed to keep his eyes away from him.

“Actually, it was Clyde’s idea.” Token corrected him, and the brunette pushed his chest up proudly.

“Pretty much the same.” A smug smile appeared on Craig’s face.

Behind the counter, Annie’s heart was pounding rapidly. She had never seen the mysterious, handsome man smile before. And now, she finally knew his name, and if she could believe the other man, she learned even more about him. The image of waking up next to a naked Craig was too much for her, she felt her face warming up, and just hoped it was not as noticeable as it felt.

Tweek, on the other hand, was more fixated on why anyone would be on a roof in the first place, not to mention falling asleep on it. It was way too dangerous; he was definitely going to lecture Craig about this later.

“Anyway.” The brunette man spoke up. “Bebe’s running late, should we grab a drink and wait here?”

Token nodded in agreement, but it took Craig a little bit longer to make a decision. He secretly glanced at Tweek, their eyes met and Craig needed to look away.

“Sure.” Craig said and pushed his best friend forward, letting him start.

“Hi again!” Clyde smiled at Annie as he stepped in front of the girl. His brown eyes shimmered with warm golden tint reflecting the shop’s yellow light. “I’m Clyde.” Behind him, his friends sighed tiredly.

“Hello.” She smiled back at him. “I’m Annie.”

“That’s a pretty name.” He nodded and placed his palm on the counter, leaning forward to read their menu. “Can I get a hot chocolate?”

“Of course, would you like some whipped cream on top?”

“Hell yes!” He looked way to excited about the hot chocolate.

“Clyde, stop flirting!” Craig’s deep voice baffled the other.

Tweek shot his head up and tensely gazed at the brunette. Craig’s jaw clenched; unusual anger creeped upon him as he noticed the blond’s reaction.

“I’m not flirting! I’m just being nice!” Clyde’s face turned red from the accusation. “You know my heart forever belongs to the world’s most bea…” His babbling got cut short.

“Shut up and move!” Craig grumbled, grabbing Clyde’s jacket from behind and pulling him away, creating space for their other friend to order.

“I would like an espresso, please.” Token said calmly and rewarded the girl with a bright smile. His teeth were whiter than fresh snow.

Annie looked back at him with a generous smile and put his order into the computer. Token turned back and put his arm around Clyde’s shoulder, walking over to the side of the counter where Tweek began to prepare their drinks.

Finally, it was Craig’s turn to stand in front of the girl. His eyes narrowed as he sized her up. She was the last person he wanted to see. He looked at her soft skin and hated it. Her kind blue eyes annoyed him. Her natural looking, perfect smile angered him, it reminded him that he needed to wear braces for years to correct his fucked-up teeth. The faint blush on her cheeks twisted his stomach. Craig’s blood burned with jealousy, and the more he looked at her, the more he disliked her.

“Americano?” Came the question from Annie. She gazed at the handsome man towering above her. Her heart pounded loudly inside her chest as Craig kept his eyes on her. That was the first time the man ever looked at her for more than a second. The way his beautiful, cold, golden eyes rested on her made Annie believe that he was stripping her in his mind. She felt warm and excited as she pushed her side bang behind her ears.

“Uh-huh.” Craig hummed. Envy piled up in his throat even though his face stayed as emotionless as usual. He sucked in his bottom lip anxiously.

Seeing that, Annie blushed even brighter; she did not feel that excited for a long time.

“Hey, Craig,” Token’s voice disturbed the noriette. “It’s my turn to pay.”

Craig wanted to argue, but honestly, he was kind of broke. He was saving up to buy a fancy, bigger cage for Stripe. But that shit was expensive. So, he let Token pay.

His heart thudded louder with every step as he got closer and closer to the barista. He tried not to stare at Tweek, but the back of his hair was made into a small braid with a tiny pink rubber band. It looked ridiculous, but cute at the same time. However, Craig could not ignore that it was the same band as the ones in the girl’s hair. His stomach twisted.

“Dude, this place is neat! I should come here as well.” Clyde said when Craig joined them. His warm brown eyes excitedly scanned the shop.

“Please, don’t.” Craig replied blankly and a smile’s shadow was cast on his face. The athlete beamed back at him.

In front of the coffee machine, Tweek desperately tried to keep his focus on his job. First, he made the hot chocolate, then the americano, leaving the espresso for last. But when he was done with all that, he knew the time had come for him to face them. He felt agitated, his hands trembled and sweated. He knew Craig had friends, and he wished to know more about them, but he did not expect them to just turn up in the shop one day, without any warning. His stomach knotted and his head ached. In different ways, but Craig’s friends seemed just as intimidating as he himself. Tweek did not dare to look at them, even though he wanted to see Craig and talk to him. His body felt stiff and heavy as he moved away from the machine. He kept his eyes on the spotless counter top once he placed the drinks on it.

“Thanks man!” Tweek heard the brown-haired man’s voice and saw his huge hand taking away his hot chocolate. The blond swallowed hard.

“Thank you very much.” The dark-skinned man said before grabbing his espresso. He moved away to find a place for them to sit.

Clyde followed him lively.

Only the steaming americano was left on the counter. Tweek saw the familiar fingers surrounding the mug. Just as Craig was going to leave, he finally lifted his head up, and looked at the raven-haired man. The amber eyes were reassuring, and Tweek felt the weight rolling down from his shoulders.

Craig leaned forward a bit, acting like he was just inspecting his drink, but when he got close enough, he finally spoke up.

“Thanks, Tweek.” He whispered and glanced at the blond, and a small smile appeared on his face for a second.

Tweek nodded quickly. He could finally breathe again. He watched Craig’s back as he arrived to the table where his friends sat patiently waiting for him. It was heartwarming, but at the same time it broke Tweek’s heart. He wished to be there, and envied their relationship. He never had friends like them.

“Tweek.” The soft voice of Annie reminded him that he was not alone. “Sorry to bother you, but we’re running low on coins. I think we should give a visit to the bank.”

“I guess you’re right.” Tweek replied once he peeked inside the cash register.

“Do you want me to go?”

“No.” Tweek shook his head and began to untie his apron. “I’ll go. I need to smoke anyway.”

Annie nodded and took the blond’s apron from him, and placed it down on the chair.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Take care.” She smiled at him before he rushed out of the shop.

While Tweek was on his way to the door, two pairs of eyes followed his every step.

He was already outside when he realized he forgot to put his jacket on, but there was no way he would go back now, and make fun of himself in front of Craig and those guys…

***

“Bebe!” Clyde jumped up from his seat and ran towards the arriving bombshell. The other two man just looked up.

Tweek and Annie eyed the newcomer. She was as charming as always. She paired a tan colored pleated mini skirt with black tights and a red bomber jacket. Her hair was in a half up ponytail and her eyes flickered as she glanced at the approaching man. Annie gazed at her intently. Until now, she was convinced that this girl was Craig’s girlfriend. However, the brunette man’s reaction made her suspicious.

“Sorry for the late.” She apologies, keeping the door open for a second person to come inside. It was a young man walking with crutches. He had brown hair, light blue eyes and exotropia.

“Th-th-there was a delay at the airpo-po-po-port.” He stuttered once he got inside.

“Jimmy!” Clyde welcomed the fifth member of their group with a hug, then moved on to the blonde girl. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to his chest, the petite woman looked up at him. She stood on the tip of her toes and gave him a quick kiss. “Hey.” Clyde flashed a charming smile towards the girl before she escaped from the hug and walked towards the other two men.

Craig and Token already stood up from their table and went to welcome their friends.

Annie’s heart raced with joy and excitement. _That blonde girl was not Craig’s girlfriend!_

“What are you doing here, man?” Craig asked and shook Jimmy’s hand.

“I came to s-su-su-surp-surprise you.” He stammered.

His answer warmed Craig’s heart. He looked at Jimmy with a soft smile. Finally seeing him after months made him so happy.

“Should we go?” Came the question from Token, after he greeted the fourth man with a handshake.

Everyone looked at Craig, who nodded slowly, hesitantly glancing at the blond man behind the counter. Their eyes met, gazing at each other with uncertainty.

“Wait for a second, Jimmy and I just arrived.” Bebe stepped out of her circle of friends. “I need a coffee. How about you Jimmy?”

“I’m good.” A small smile curled up on his face while one of his eyes settled on the blonde woman.

With flawless confidence, she went to the counter to make an order.

“Hi.” She greeted Annie with a smile, placing her hand on the counter and leaning forward. The way she acted astonishingly reminded Tweek of the brunette man’s manner. “Can I have an americano with sugarfree caramel and a bit of skinny milk to take away?”

“Sure.” Annie replied with a nod.

Bebe’s sight shifted from the cashier to the barista. A playful smirk climbed onto her face, and her long lashes casted a shadow over her unbelievably green eyes, giving Tweek a strange feeling. He flushed under the weight of her gaze.

“Hey Craig.” She addressed the giant, not even bothered to face him. Her eyes drifted between the cakes and Tweek. “Would you like a blondie?” She turned around and flashed an angelic smile at the raven-haired man.

At first Craig was confused, but he recognized the way she looked at him in a mere second. The smile may have looked innocent for anyone who did not know her, but in reality, it was the smile of a beast, looking at its pray with devilish pleasure. His eyes darkened as he locked eyes with her.

“I’m fine.” The words hardly pressed through his pursed lips.

“Don’t be shy.” She continued. “I know it’s your favorite.” Craig tensed from the way she enhanced every word, his stomach clenched. Her eyes flickered viciously; she was playing with him.

“I’ll pass.” He answered with a soft smile, but there was not a drop of grace in it. His eyes were cold as he kept his gaze on her. He did not dare to look at Tweek, even though, he was dying to see the other man’s reaction. _Did he take the hint?_

She shrugged and turned back to Annie.

“You know what, I will take one just in case.” And she smiled again. Craig moaned behind her and Annie nodded as she placed the cake into a paper bag. “Thanks.” Bebe said and took the bag from her, a charming smile still rested on her lips.

After she paid, she stepped closer to Tweek. He felt her eyes watching his every move and it definitely did not make his work easier. The previous conversation between her and Craig left Tweek feel utterly perplexed. He was certain their conversation implied more than just a piece of cake, but he had no idea what it was. When he was done, he turned around and placed the drink in front of the girl. He was not quick enough to withdraw his hand from the take away cup, though. Her soft, perfect fingers landed on his hand. Tweek’s eyes shot up at her, and she greeted him with a playful smile. That was the first time Tweek saw her so up-close. Her green orbs were hypnotic, and the man felt his heart thudding in his throat.

“Thank you.” She breathed out and winked at him, gently fondling his fingers before she let his hand retreat from the cup. At that point Tweek was sure his ears were burning and his face turned deep red.

He nodded vaguely as he did a step backwards and grabbed his left wrist. He slightly jittered.

The charming blonde woman glanced at him one more time, and turned around her heels, proudly walking back to the group of men waiting for her impatiently. When she arrived in front of Craig, she looked up at the giant and pushed the paper bag to his chest.

“Happy birthday!” She said loud enough so the two workers could clearly hear it as well. Tweek shot his eyes at the raven-haired man.

“Shut up.” Craig grumbled and grabbed his present before he rushed out of the shop. He wanted to look back at Tweek so badly, but there was no way he would do it now that Bebe’s eyes were on him.

Token and Jimmy silently followed him while Clyde gave a wave to the employees before he grabbed his girlfriend’s waist.

“What’s a blondie anyway?” He asked her on their way out.

“It’s basically a brownie without chocolate.” Bebe explained with a smirk and leaned closer to her man.

“Who would eat such a thing? The chocolate is the best part of it.” The incomprehension and innocence in Clyde’s voice made her giggle.

“You know Craig.” She glanced at him cheerfully, lifting her drink to her lips. “He’s such a vanilla guy…” Her lips curled up as she mumbled around the lid. She was in such a good mood today.

Inside the shop Tweek’s heart raced with the speed of a rocket, one particular sentenced was playing on a loop inside his mind. _Happy birthday_. Today was Craig’s birthday and he had no idea! Looking at his phone with piled up guilt in his eyes, he decided to message him to wish him a happy birthday. Later, he will definitely give him a proper present.

***

Craig was stuck in the back seat of the car, behind Bebe, who was driving. He was still angry with her but that was the most convenient place for him to sit. The girl being the shortest one of them gave the most of space for him in the car. Usually he would take the passenger seat next to her, but he let Clyde take it today. There was no way, he would sit next to that witch. So, much to his best friend’s delight, he ended up being squeezed into the back with Token and Jimmy. He stared out of the window with a blank face, watching as the passing buildings melted into a colored patch.

The air was rather tense and everybody could sense it, although, nobody dared to do anything about it. They were all waiting for Craig to finally let go of his childish grudge. But Clyde could not take it any longer, he knew exactly what they needed. Connecting his phone to the car, he opened his Spotify and began to search for a specific song. Craig would definitely pretend to be annoyed when he hears it, but that was just an act, this song always worked, and it will this time as well.

The moment the catchy beat filled the car Craig moaned and a smug smile appeared on the brunette. _That was their song!_ Everyone started humming softly and tapping lightly against their kneecaps, excluding Craig who was still protesting. When the refrain began the first time all of them got excited, eagerly waiting for the next part.

“We've known each other for so long” Jimmy sang without stuttering. Craig shook his head.

“Your heart's been aching but you're too shy to say it” Token turned his face towards Craig as he continued the song, Craig narrowed his eyes and puffed some air out.

“Inside we both know what's been going on.” Bebe took her turn, looking at Craig from the rear-view mirror. Craig rolled his eyes.

“We know the game and we're gonna play it.” Clyde leaned back from the front seat, beaming at him wholeheartedly. That was the moment Craig could not take it any longer, his eyes shimmered with joy. At this point all eyes were on him. He gazed out of the window before he continued the song.

“And if you ask me how I'm feeling, don't tell me you're too blind to see.” He sang with a soft smile, and when he finished with his part all five of them sang the refrain with everything they had.

Their bodies moved with the rhythm of the music as they completely indulged with the cheesy song. When his phone vibrated in his hand, he quickly glanced at it. His heart skipped a beat, it was a message from Tweek. Craig could not help but smile again as pure joy overwhelmed his soul. _He was so happy_.

***

The day went by as perfectly as it possibly could be. They went to the cinema to watch the new science-fiction movie which just came out and Craig was dying to see it. He had some popcorn with coke, and this time he was vigilant enough to save his snack from Clyde. Later, they decided to grab lunch at Craig’s favorite dining place, then spent the rest of the day in a quiet bar. Chatting and celebrating his birthday the way they always did. Time to time he sneaked to the restroom, to avoid Bebe’s observing eye, and messaged Tweek. His heart filled with happiness and his mind was clouded by the amount of booze he consumed. He had a drinking contest with Clyde and there was no way he would let him win.

When the darkness spread through the sky, the moon lazily peeked above the horizon and the stars began dancing in the heavens. Craig’s heart sunk; he knew it was time to say goodbye.

Clyde and Jimmy spent the night at Bebe’s place. Clyde had an early practice the following day, and the blonde girl promised Jimmy to drop him off to the airport in the morning. Token chose to crash at Craig’s as he had no intension of waking up before daybreak. Bebe being the generous sober driver for the day drove the two men home as well. Craig sighed bitterly, he already missed Jimmy.

They took turns in the shover and Craig fed Stripe before he cracked open a cold one while he waited for Token to finish in the bathroom.

“Can I have one?” Token asked looking at the beer in the other man’s hand after he stepped inside the bedroom. He wore a purple boxer with an old gray shirt.

“Knock yourself out.” Craig winked at him with a sleepy face. It was late and he was tired, but he did not want to waste his time with Token with such a trivial thing as sleeping. He crawled down from his mattress to turn on his PlayStation 4. He did not have money for a bed so he just bought a mattress and put it on the floor. And honestly, he kind of liked it this way. When Token came back with his drink both of them sat on it and each of them grabbed a controller. They played for a while, not really focusing on the game but bringing up their favorite childhood memories. Laughter filled the air and satisfaction Craig’s soul. But halfway through their second cans of beer Token looked at him with a serious face.

“What’s with you and the blondie?”

The unexpected question made Craig spit out the precious ale nearly choking to death. The thought of Tweek rushed through his mind, but then he remembered the scene from the coffeeshop just before they left. His heart calmed down a bit.

“I honestly have no idea where she got the idea, I never said it was my favorite shit or anything.” He muttered, occasionally stopping to cough.

“I’m not talking about the cake, Craig…” Token said and put his controller down. Craig’s stomach twisted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He kept his eyes on the game as he swallowed hard.

“I see.” Token calmly said before taking a sip of his beer. “I guess I just misread things.”

“Looks like it.” Craig lied.

After this the mood in the room slowly shifted back to a more pleasant one and they continued playing and drinking for an other hour or so. However, eventually they got too tired to carry on.

They lied next to each other on the mattress. Craig drifted between reality and dreamland.

“Craig?” Token whispered not being sure if his friend was still awake.

“Hm?” Craig moaned pulling the blanket over his head.

“Do you remember that a couple of weeks ago we were meant to spend the weekend at Clyde’s.”

“Yeah… That asshole ditched us saying he was sick.” Craig mumbled under the cover.

“Yes, so I came here and spent the Saturday with you.”

“Right, why are we talking about this now?”

“Today, at the coffeeshop, that blond barista guy wore exactly the same Levi’s sweatshirt I saw hanging on your drying rack that Saturday.” Token’s voice pierced through the silent.

Craig lied still with eyes wide open under the cover of the blanket. His heart stopped beating for a second while he pretended to be asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned in this chapter: "Never gonna give you up" by Rick Astley
> 
> I know this chapter did not have a lot of Creek content, but honestly, this is one of my favorite parts of the entire story, so I hope you enjoyed it anyway. :)


	7. Live to win

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still can't believe just how much love the previous chapter received! Honestly, guys you are a-ma-zing! As a thank you gift, here's a 10,000-word-long chapter for you to enjoy :D (yes, double the size of my usual ones) 
> 
> There's a super cute surprise in the end note, don't forget to check it out! ;)

Tweak was beat, stank badly and his hair was a sweaty mess under his beanie hat. He sat on the dock with legs crossed and could hardly move. The aching sensation in his abdomen made breathing painful. He knew he would have a big bruise there soon, but he could not care less about it. Those tired blue eyes of his were lost in the scene in front of him. It was a foggy, cold day. Mist lurked withing the dark forest, hungrily reaching towards the lake. Snow covered the trees, making them sparkle like crystals every time the wan sunlight hit them. Icy breeze danced around him, fondling relentlessly, causing his bare face and fingers to froze. It was nearly unbearable, but just nearly. The view was so enchanting, he could not feel the cold or the pain.

He remembered the day clearly when he discovered this place. It happened not long after he arrived to the city. It was a sunny April day, and the scent of flowers filled the air. Everyone was in an uplifted mood, as if they did not have a care in the world. Everyone, except Tweek Tweak, who was stumbling aimlessly on the streets. The scars on his body and soul just began to heal, but when he closed his eyes, he still smelled the mixture of blood, urine, feces, vomit and tears. His body jittered with every step as he cast his eyes down. He was so deeply lost in his twisted, nightmarish thoughts he did not realize when his cigarette got so short that it burned his fingers. He welcomed the piercing pain like an old friend before throwing the stub away and lighting the next one up.

“Mom, look how high I am!” The excited voice of a young boy disrupted Tweek. He glanced up and saw the child sitting on a higher branch of a tree, proudly beaming down at his mother who stood close by, keeping her eye on the treasure of her life.

“Watch out Johnny, it’s dangerous! You can fall down.” She smiled, but concern tinted her eyes.

“Don’t worry Mom, I got this!” The boy replied and climbed down the tree.

This would warm anyone’s heart, but Tweek’s. Sickness overwhelmed him, and water gathered in the corners of his eyes. He wanted to flee from the scene, so he ran away looking down at the ground while he fought back the tears. When he was far enough from the mother and her child, he finally lifted his head up again, and that was when he saw the lake for the first time. The bright light of the Sun reflected back from the surface of the water. The birds sang vividly in the forest behind the lake. There were no clouds staining the boundless blue sky. It was calm and beautiful, like the imaginary place where he escaped from reality to, whenever he got overwhelmed. But this time it was real. His legs felt weak while he walked over to the decayed dock. He sat down on the edge and gazed at the scenery. There was no one else there, just him. For a long time, he stayed there motionlessly with a blank face, looking more like a doll than a human being. Then it began to rain. The water ran down his cheeks and his heart sunk. His shattered soul screamed loudly inside, and he wanted to yell, but there was a knot in his throat and only a weak moan escaped his lips. He felt cold, lonely and lost sitting there in the rumbling storm. However, in reality, there was not a single drop of rain coming from the sky. They were the tears of a broken soul…

Tweek sighed. Since that day, he always came here when life got the better of him. Being there helped him calm down. He watched as the mist hungrily crawled over the lake, getting closer and closer to him. He hoped that the white fog would eventually enclose him and take him somewhere where the hardships of life would not be able to catch up to him. He felt a faint pain in his left wrist, and he chewed on his bottom lip as he gently squeezed it. Today was not a good day, and he just wanted it to be over.

The sudden sound of approaching steps hit his ears and he frowned. Someone was running, which was rear, thanks to the few streetlights and the horrible condition of the dirty road around the lake. Tweek kept his eyes on the view, hoping that the ambitious runner would pass by quickly, but the steps got louder with every passing second. His anxiety level started to creep up.

A shadow towered above him and every sore muscle in his aching body tensed up. He was ready to fight. Although deep down, he just wanted to give up and let the stranger took his worthless life.

“Tweek? Is that you?”

Tweek’s heart beat so loudly it vibrated through his entire body. He lost all the power to fight. He could not do anything, but surrender. He shot his head up and gazed at the man standing behind him.

“Cr-Craig?! What’re you doing here?!” He stammered with eyes glued on the panting black-haired man.

Craig leaned forward and put his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat was scrolling down from his forehead and it got into his eyes. It stung, so he tried to blink it out.

“Running?” Craig puffed. His breath was visible in the cold. Then he looked at the blond man who was sitting on the frosty dock in the cold.

“But why here? Are you stalking me?” Tweek jittered as his eyes wandered off onto his friend. Craig only wore black tights – leaving little to the imagination – with a dark blue long-sleeved running top.

“You wish.” He smiled at him.

Suddenly, Tweek got aware of the cold. A shiver ran through his spine as he put his weight on his palm to try and push himself up. A second later Craig’s helping hand appeared in front of him. He glanced at the tired man before accepting the help and letting himself being pulled up.

“Thanks.” Tweek muttered. He was so close to the other man that he could feel the warmth radiating from Craig’s body.

“Fuck! Your hand is freezing!” The words leaving Craig’s lips were unexpectedly loud. He kept Tweek’s hand in his own. “How long have you been out here?” He frowned and tightened his grip. The blond’s fingers felt like sticks of ice.

“What time is it now?” Tweek asked while his eyes swept around. It was getting dark and the Sun was about to dive under the horizon.

“Past six.” Came the blunt answer.

“Then, I guess I’ve been here for a while now.” He hummed and trembled from the mixed sensation of the piercing cold and Craig’s burning hot palm.

“Let’s go!”

“Where?” It was time for Tweek to frown at Craig confusedly.

“To my place. Before you freeze to death.” Craig groaned, turning away from the lake to rush back home, dragging the puzzled blond man with him. He kept hold of Tweek’s hand a little bit longer before letting it go.

“Wh-What?” The question hardly managed to leave Tweek’s mouth as he tried to keep up with Craig’s pace, who unstoppably walked forward. After the warmth of the other man left his palm, he hugged himself in an attempt to keep himself warm.

“I live close by.” Craig replied with a calm tone. He slowed down a bit to walk side by side with the blond man who was visibly shivering. His shoulder brushed against Tweek, who unconsciously leaned closer to him, sending unfailing excitement through Craig’s body.

“Hm… So that’s why you run here.” Tweek spoke, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of them. The smell of sweat circled around them. “You stink.” He stated but did not pull away from the other.

Craig looked at him with a smug face.

“You sure it’s not you? You smell just as bad.” Craig laughed. His fingers lightly touched the blond man’s hand.

“Could be.” Tweek nodded in surrender before he returned the smile. “I had a practice match today, and haven’t had a shower since, so…” He kept chattering until he realized the absence of the walking heater. He stopped and looked back at his friend.

“What do you mean by practice match?” Craig stood there looking at him with surprised eyes.

“Oh!” Tweek gasped. “Haven’t I told you yet?” From the look on Craig’s face, the answer was obvious. “I train Muay Thai.”

“What?” The noriette tilted his head to the side.

“It’s a combat sport, like kickboxing.” Tweek explained briefly. “You may have heard about it as Thai boxing.”

“No, never heard of it.” Craig shook his head. Amazement painted over his face. “But it sounds pretty cool.” He said and continued walking. His eyes were fixed on the small, skinny-looking man next to him. He would have never guessed that he was doing martial arts… However, he had never really seen the other’s body properly, as he always wore baggy and oversized clothes.

“It is!” Tweek beamed at him excitedly. “Although, it’s kind of rough and dangerous, so I only do it as a hobby.” He snickered uncomfortably as the pain in his stomach reminded him of the painful kick he received today.

“What do you mean by dangerous?” From the worried look on Craig’s face Tweek felt a pleasant warmth filling up his chest. No one has ever really cared about him before.

“Don’t worry! I’m fine.” Tweek averted his gaze while he searched for his cigarette in his coat’s pocket.

Craig frowned, but he dropped the topic as he did not want to force Tweek to talk more about it. They kept walking for a couple more minutes before Craig stopped in front of a tall, old and run-down-looking building.

“Here we are.” He said with a deadpan face. He took out his keys from the hidden back pocket of his tights. “I live on the top floor and we need to climb the stairs as the elevator’s been out of order for the past twenty years or so.” He mumbled and opened the door for Tweek to walk in.

Tweek looked around as he stepped inside. The stairway was dark with hardly enough light to see, the air was dusty and smelled like mold.

“Charming.” He stated once Craig arrived next to him.

“I know, and that’s not even the best part.” A sly grin crossed Craig’s face. “The bulbs on the fourth floor had burned out. It’s pitch-black there.”

Tweek gulped loudly before he rushed after Craig. He was not a fan of darkness.

When they finally reached the sixth and last floor, where Craig lived, Tweek was already on the verge of freaking out.

“Man, this place is creepy as hell.” He moaned in agony, and kept looking back behind his shoulder. He was sure there was someone watching him from the darkness. “Why do you live here?”

“It’s worth it.” That was the only explanation Craig gave, before inserting the key into the heavily graffitied door. Soon, the noriette opened the entrance to his treasured place with a loud sound.

The inside looked much better than Tweek expected. The hallway was bright and toasty with a door on their right, which lead into a surprisingly breathy and clean kitchen and another closed door opposite to the apartment’s entrance.

They took their shoes off and Craig hung Tweek’s coat in the hallway wardrobe, before they headed to the shut door.

“Holly shi…” Tweek gasped with wide eyes as he gazed into the room.

“I told you, it’s worth it.” Craig walked past the amazed blond and looked at him. “Welcome to my paradise.” He said theatrically and cracked a smile. He could not take his eyes away from the sight in front of him. His heart fluttered as he watched the astonished man. Purple and orange danced within Tweek’s blue eyes, creating illusions of undying flames.

The room itself was quite big, tidy and moderately furnished. There was a simple wooden wardrobe and a large desk packed with stuff. The floor was covered with a dark brown carpet. There was a huge cage next to the desk, where the famous Stripe the seventh spent her glorious days. A huge TV stood in the corner, with a PlayStation box next to it. There was a bunch of books lying neatly next to the double-sized mattress on the ground. But what made the room breathtaking was the huge skylight window above the mattress. Through the spotless glass, Tweek gazed at the colored sky. The misty sunset painted the heavens with a beautiful blend of dark purple, vibrant orange and vivid pink.

“That’s insane!” Tweek finally found his voice again.

The proud grin faded away from Craig’s lips and turned into a soft, warm smile as he locked eyes with the blond man.

“You should see it at night, when the sky is clear.” He said, and, with difficulty, he managed to tore his gaze away from Tweek. “You should take a shower before you catch a cold.” Craig mumbled under his breath.

Tweek shot his head towards the other man with bewildered eyes. He had no intension of taking a shower, but after Craig mentioned it, he realized that he was chilled to the bone. The idea of warming his body up with hot water sounded too nice to pass. However, after his eyes settled on the giant, he realized that Craig was soaked in sweat. His hair was flat and his clothes were wet from the running.

“You should go first.” Tweek’s features softened as he looked at Craig.

Craig wanted to protest, but the blond was right. He nodded slowly.

“I’m gonna be quick.” He promised while he moved to his wardrobe and took a pile of clean clothes out of it. Then he stepped inside the bathroom, but a second later, he sticked his head out, looking at Tweek. “Make yourself at home.” He said and shut the door.

Tweek stood still in the unfamiliar place, he looked around, taking every bit of the room in. It was completely different from his own one, but it fitted Craig well. Organized, clean and calming just like him. His scent and the smell of his shower gel – sneaking out of the bathroom – swirled in the air. Tweek took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, wondering if he would be able to sleep better in a place like this.

Then he heard a sudden noise and opened his eyes. He looked around and realized that the one making the sounds was the little furry animal in the cage. Tweek walked closer to it and squatted down. The tiny guinea pig munched on a carrot happily. She was just as cute in real life as on the picture. His eyes softened as he looked at her, but he did not dare to touch her. Guinea pig’s have sharp teeth after all…

Eventually, he stood up and his sight settled on Craig’s desk, where he discovered four framed pictures. They reminded him of his own set at home. The first one was a group photo from his high school graduation. All four of his friends, Tweek met before, were on the picture with him. Everyone smiled happily, except Craig, although, the corners of his lips curled slightly upward. The usual sight of the black-haired man’s unimpressed face made him smile, but his heart ached for a second. He wondered what it would feel like to wear a cap like those. Would it be so light, that even a small breeze could blow it off of his head? Or would it be heavy, pushing his hair down and causing him a headache? How would it feel to throw it in the air with dozens of others, hearing the cheering of his friends and his loved one? He bet it must be nice.

He sighed and looked at the second photo, where two children stood in front of a house. One of them was a tiny girl, probably not older than four. She pouted and wore a cat costume. Next to her was Craig. Tweek could not help, but smile, as he looked at the small unimpressed astronaut showing his middle finger to the camera. Tweek guessed he was in his third or fourth grade. The two kids were ready for the spookiest night of the year. Melancholy soaked Tweek’s soul, he had never been trick or treating.

The third picture must have been taken during a Christmas dinner. The grumpy looking teenager Craig sat next to the very pretty young girl, with the same deadpan expression Tweek saw on Craig’s face nearly every day. There was no question in his mind that the two of them were sibling. They looked quite similar, except the girl’s strawberry blonde hair and darker eyes. On the other side of the table, their parents sat. Both of them were fairly tall, especially the man, who looked even taller than his grown-up son. He had a heavy build, red hair with receding hairlines, cold blue eyes and a detached look on his face. Tweek giggled when he looked at Craig’s mother on the picture. She looked at her children with piercing eyes. She must have been upset with her kids who did not look impressed about taking a family picture before digging in the dinner. She was slim and beautiful, had dyed blonde hair and hazel eyes. The entire family was uncomfortably attractive, it was painful to even look at them. Tweek drifted his eyes away from the family as he gently began rubbing his left wrist.

Finally, he glanced at the last picture, and smiled immediately. His hand moved without thinking. He grabbed the edge of the frame and lifted it from the desk, bringing it closer to his eyes. There was an elderly woman in the photo, smiling happily with the kindest eyes Tweek had ever seen. They were the same amber color as Craig’s. She carefully wrapped her loving arms around a young boy, sitting on her lap. That boy was Craig, probably not more than six, and he was smiling. It was a real, full-face smile filled with joy. His eyes shimmered with a playful light in them, and Tweek could feel his heart beating faster as he looked at the happy child. He was just adorable…

“That’s me and my grandma.” The nasal voice coming from behind the blond man, made him jump.

Tweek turned around to face Craig. From his wet, midnight-black hair, water was still dripping on his blue shirt.

The giant glanced down at the picture in Tweek’s hand, and a small smile bloomed on his lips.

“She looks really kind.” Tweek said as he kept his sight on the photo.

“Yeah… she was the best.” Craig whispered with a bitter tone, a shadow of longing and sadness painted his golden eyes.

Guilt creeped upon Tweek as he squeezed the frame, he did not want to make the other sad.

“I’m…” He began with a shaky voice and gazed at Craig. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Craig shook his head. “She was amazing and really strong.” He said and his eyes met with Tweek’s. The blue eyes were sad and watery. He painfully chewed on his bottom lip, as he bit back the questions overwhelming his mind. However, Tweek did not need to say anything, Craig could easily read his mind. With a broken expression he continued. “Heart failure. Seven years ago.” He breathed out.

Tweek’s heart ached. He held the picture to his chest, and hugged it tightly. It seemed like he was not really holding onto the photo itself, but the soul of the lady who meant so much to the young man in front of him.

At first, Craig had no intension of carrying on talking about his beloved grandmother. She was a hard topic for him. He had not even told the whole story to Bebe and Jimmy, only four people knew it. However, the caring and heartbroken look on Tweek’s face moved something inside of Craig. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he stepped away from the blond and grabbed his blue chullo hat from his desk. He looked at it with soft eyes.

“This was the last thing she gave me. It was a Christmas present.” He sighed and Tweek lifted his head up, to see the other man, tenderly holding the worn-out hat between his hands. “I was so upset back then. I wanted more than a stupid hat.” He snorted and slowly shook his head. “But that was the time when I got caught smoking in the school. My parents were so mad at me, but honestly, I didn’t care. I thought it was cool and kind of enjoyed it.” He shrugged. “But then Christmas came and I didn’t get what I wanted. I acted like a total jerk towards my grandma after she gave me this…” He paused for a second to look at his chullo. “I had a similar one when I was younger and I really loved it. I was actually sad when I grew out of it… she knew that, so she bought me this hat and said if I quit smoking, she would buy me a telescope for my birthday. I promised her I would stop, but I didn’t…” His eyes drifted from the hat to Tweek, and the blond man saw something on Craig’s face that he had never seen before. Real, tragic pain blending with shameful guilt. “She suddenly passed away at the beginning of January.” He pressed out with pursed lips. “I couldn’t look at a cigarette for a long time. I felt like it was my fault, because I didn’t keep me promise.” He glanced at Tweek and the pain was almost gone, he looked more like his usual self. “Although, I was quite the hypocrite as I kept smoking weed.” He let out a harsh laugh, then put his treasured hat back to where it was before and pointed at his tattoo. “When I turned eighteen, I got this. She was the one who made me fall in love with Space, always taking me stargazing… telling me all kind of stories and facts about the stars, the Moon, the black holes and space travelling. Everything really…” He glanced at Tweek with soft eyes and an embarrassed smile. “She called me Spaceman Craig.”

Tweek just stood there, anxiously shifting on his legs. He wanted to move, say something, comfort the other, but he could not do anything. He could not even bring himself to look him in the eyes. Thoughts rushed through his mind restlessly and an uncomfortable tension build up in his stomach. _How should he react? What should he say?_ Before he could say anything, Craig’s hand landed on his shoulder.

“Go and take a shower man, you stink.” Craig said with forced playfulness. “I left some clothes for you there if you want to change into something clean.” The noriette told him, before taking his phone from his desk to check his unread messages.

“Thanks.” Tweek nodded back at him in relief and walked towards the shower.

The bathroom was just as neat as every other part of Craig’s home. Tweek got the feeling that he was the dirtiest thing in the entire apartment and it made him uneasy. He sighed uncomfortably as he locked the door behind himself. The floor and walls were covered with ivory colored tiles. The air was steamy and toasty. There were no dirty clothes lying on the floor, unlike at his place.

He quickly began to undress and when he was done, he put his stinky clothes next to the clean ones on the top of a white cabinet next to the bathtub. He took a glance at his lower abdomen. It hurt, and the sizable black bruise had already appeared on it. He pushed it with a finger and immediately felt the pulsing pain. He grimaced.

“Well, it was expected.” He muttered, and pushed the shower curtain away.

The bath was old and a bit rusty, but it was obvious that Craig made a great effort to keep it clean. When he stepped inside, it was still warm and wet. He pulled the curtain back and opened the tap. Warm water rushed out of the showerhead, and Tweek took it gladly. It was really nice and much needed, but his mind could not rest. He felt strange, but not as uneasy as he usually did when he was outside of the comfort of his home. Then again, it was this bizarre calmness and acceptance radiating from Craig that made Tweek relaxed and eased.

And now, Craig told him something unexpected, an important part of his life. Tweek could not help, but feel extremely happy and awfully sad at the same time. This was already way too much emotion for him to handle in a single day. Especially a day like this, when he was already on the edge of the abyss of his darkest thoughts. Nothing special happened today that would trigger him. He just could not sleep at all last night, then he went to practice where he could not focus and got beat up pretty badly. Every part of his body hurt and a headache tormented him. On top of that, those bad memories came back and poisoned his mind. Whenever it happened before, he just tried to get through it all alone as quickly as possible. However, this time Craig was there with him.

He closed the water and grabbed a towel before he stepped out of the tub. He dried himself off and carefully scrutinized the piece of clothes Craig left for him. It was not anything special, a plain white T-shirt and black sweatpants. He thought for a second, then put them on. The shirt was way too big and baggy for him and the pants were too long, but at least they were clean. He brushed the blond hair, that fell messily into his face, away with his fingers. Meanwhile, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror that reminded him to put his jumper back on.

Craig was nowhere to be found when he entered the bedroom.

“Craig?” He yelped and looked around in the obviously empty room.

“Kitchen!” Came the noriette’s answer from the distance.

Tweek followed the instruction and found the black-haired man leaning against the counter sipping a cold beer.

“I have some leftover but I really don’t fancy it right now. So how do you feel about a pizza?” He asked and walked to the fridge. He opened it and took out another can. “Want one?”

“Both sound good.” The blond replied.

Craig passed the drink to him with a satisfied hum.

“Thanks.” The can hissed under Tweek’s finger as he opened it.

“Cheers.” Craig lifted his half empty beer and clinked it to the other one.

“Cheers.” The blond let out a delighted sigh after the first sip of the cold drink.

“Let’s head back to the bedroom. We can order the food from there and watch something while we wait.” Craig made the decision and took the first step.

“Sounds good.” Tweek followed him.

“So, what kind of pizza do you like?” Craig asked once they sat on his mattress.

“Anything’s fine, really. I’m not that picky.” Tweek muttered uncomfortably. This was Craig’s private territory and it felt odd to just occupy it. “What about you, Craig?”

“I don’t like mushrooms. They are squishy and taste funny.” He stated coldly.

Tweek fought back his laughter and tore his gaze away from the other man. His eyes settled on the dark night sky above them. It was cloudy so hardly any stars were visible.

“So, no mushrooms, anything else?”

“Artichokes.”

Tweek frowned before he looked at Craig with curious eyes.

“My sister once thought she was a talented chef, and made this… thing…” He pinched the bridge of his nose in pure disgust. “I’m not sure what it was meant to be, but it was full of this cursed plant. That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever had.” He shook his head trying to erase the disturbing memory. “And I even won a bug eating competition back in pre-school.” He added with unforeseen pride in his voice. Tweek raised his eyebrows but did not say anything. “I puked at least three times that night.”

“Gross!” A short laugh escaped through Tweek’s lips. “Your sister sounds like someone who’s fun to be around.”

At first, a harsh grunt came from Craig as a response.

“I’m pretty sure she poisoned me.” He shrugged. He glanced at the still giggling Tweek, and smiled. Then he remembered the pictures in the blond man’s bedroom, and the two younger girls in one of them. He wanted to ask Tweek about them for a while now, but never found the right time to bring it up. “How about you? Do you have any siblings?”

A sudden silence followed Craig’s question.

Tweek casted his eyes down, looking at his fingernails intensely.

“No.” Finally, he spoke up, still not daring to look at Craig. He pulled his jumper’s sleeves over his hands, before he continued. “But I have two cousins! They’re both really sweet and live in this city so I spend quite a lot of time with them.” However, it was a bit of a stretch to say that, considering he hardly ever spoke to them. The last time he saw them was on Christmas Day, and it was already February. “So, have you decided what kind of pizza we should get?”

The fact that Tweek quickly changed the topic did not go unnoticed by the raven-haired man. Craig kept his eyes on the other for another second before turning them back at his phone.

“Four cheese? And maybe another one with a lot of meat?”

“Sounds good.” Tweek agreed and took a sip of his beer.

“It’s all done.” Craig dropped his phone on the mattress and grabbed the TV’s remote controller. “Should be here in fifty minutes. What would you like to watch?”

“Whatever you want.”

Craig frowned and looked at him.

“Come on dude, don’t be such a party killer.”

“I don’t usually watch TV.” Tweek shrugged.

“How about your favorite show as a child? Don’t tell me you didn’t have one.” Craig eyed him curiously.

The intense gaze of the black-haired giant made Tweek nervous and forced him to look away. His eyes settled on the TV’s screen as he thought about what his favorite show was back then. When he remembered, he blushed in shame.

“What is it?” Came the excited question from Craig. When he saw the other man’s face turning into a light shade of pink, his heart raced.

“It’s… It’s embarrassing.” Tweek mumbled and tried to hide his face from the giant who was closing in on him.

“Come on Tweek. It can’t be that bad!” Craig smiled as he arrived close to the other man. He put his head on the blond’s shoulder. The blond twitched. Craig felt his stomach making excited and nervous flips as he inhaled through his nose. The scent of his shower gel and Tweek’s own odor hovered around the blond man. The temptation to twist his head to the side and kiss the uncovered skin on Tweek’s neck was killing him, but he managed to keep himself under control.

The situation was horribly uncomfortable and surprisingly relaxing at the same time for Tweek. It was more than what his nervous soul could take, so he pushed himself away from the other man, nearly causing Craig to fall on his face.

A disappointed look washed over Craig’s face before he sighed and pushed himself back to a less enjoyable but more manageable sitting position.

“So?” He asked, returning to their original topic.

“Promise me you won’t laugh!” Tweek whimpered, averting the other man’s eyes. Craig nodded though, but he did not see it, so he kept waiting for an answer. A moment later the noriette spoke up.

“Promise.”

It still took a couple of seconds for Tweek to find his courage to say it out loud.

“Sailor Moon.” He whispered rapidly, keeping his eyes on the mattress and waiting for Craig to mock him.

“That’s gay.” Craig said with a flat voice.

But when Tweek looked up, he saw him biting down on his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling. He looked so comical, all of Tweek’s shame disappeared.

“You’re gay.” He came back at him before he could think it trough. Once he realized what he said, his eyes widened and he clapped his hand on his mouth. “Shit! I-I’m so…” However, before he had a chance to finish his apologies, Craig burst into a laugh.

“Can’t argue with that.” He laughed and wiped a teardrop out of the corner of his eye. It was a true heartwarming laughter which Craig rarely showed to anyone, but he could not stop himself after he saw the other’s scared face.

Tweek trembled and felt his face heating up as he looked at the man in front of him.

“Calm down, Tweek.” Craig exhaled heavily as he tried to take back the control over his face. “You didn’t say anything wrong.” His arm reached towards the blond man, and before Tweek could process it, his hand landed on top of his messy, blond hair. The noriette gently patted his head with a small smile. Tweek’s eyes widened, but he did not jerk away this time. “My favorite show was Red Racer.” He began and brought his hand back to his side. “Ever heard of it?”

“No.” The blond shook his head.

“Shame.” Craig moaned but did not sound too bothered. “Anyway, that’s pretty much the best show ever, if you ask me. Just don’t ask Clyde, he has no taste at all.” He kept talking as he opened Netflix and began to scroll through the sitcom shows. “I was so obsessed with it I never missed a single episode. I even skipped school once to see the premier of the last season.” He stopped moving down on the suggested shows at once and turned his head towards Tweek. “Brooklyn 99?” Tweek nodded although he had no clue what Craig was babbling about. His puzzled face caused a knot in Craig’s stomach. “It’s a pretty funny show, I think you’re gonna like it.” He said, but in reality, he had no idea about the other man’s taste. So, he mainly chose this because he loved it.

Two episodes later, there were three things Tweek was sure about. One, their pizza was late. Two, Craig Tucker had a simple taste. Three, the black-haired man admired the captain, who showed even less emotion than him. Tweek thought the two of them could be soulmates, if Raymond Holt was not just an imaginary character.

It took their food one more episode to finally arrive.

***

“It’s really good!” Tweek said with amazement as he took his first bite from the meaty pizza.

“This is the best pizza place in the city, if you ask me.”

“I’m gonna make a note of it.” The blond nodded and glanced at Craig, who was happily gulping his third can of beer.

Tweek’s untouched second one was next to the mattress, and he decided the time was as good as any to open it. He took it and moved his finger under the tab. He pulled it up, and the moment the tab pierced the can and created an opening, the fizzy drink burst out. It spreaded all over Tweek’s jumper and the pizza box, soaking him and the last two slices.

“Fuck!” Tweek groaned as he held the leaking can in his hand.

Craig moved quicker than a lightning. He jumped up from the mattress and took the cursed beer away from Tweek together with the wasted box of leftovers.

“Shit! Craig, I’m really sorry!” He kept mumbling as he tried to stand up. He started panicking as he felt the cold liquid drenching his clothes. Today was one of those days when he could hardly keep himself together, which usually caused him to overreact even the smallest things.

“Don’t sweat it. It happens.” Craig replied and walked out of the room towards the kitchen. When he came back thirty seconds later, his eyes settled on the soaked blond man. “But you need to take that jumper off.” He said and stepped in front of him.

Tweek’s eyes widened once he understood what Craig had just said. His stomach twisted as he stood there, in the shadow of the man towering above him. He swallowed hard and tried to calm himself, with very little success.

“Nah, don’t worry. It’ll dry quickly.” He said with a shaky voice, trying to show a convincing smile.

The noriette frowned in surprise.

“Come on Tweek, don’t joke around. Take it off!” He ordered him.

“No.” The blond shook his head in protest and took a step back. Cold sweat ran down his neck, and his heart pounded vigorously. He knew he should not have overreacted like this, but he could not control his emotions this time.

“What?” Craig asked. But Tweek continued shaking his head. “Don’t be an idiot Tweek! I’m not gonna steel it!” He yelled surprising even himself. He never saw Tweek so freaked out before, and it made him anxious and highly cautious about the situation. “I just want to wash it. I promise I’ll give it back to you as soon as it’s dry.” He tried to put his hand on the blond’s shoulder, but Tweek jumped away from the touch. “If you’re cold, don’t worry. I’ll give you one of mine.” Craig smiled at the other, but the blue eyes averted him.

“No.” Tweek whispered. He felt horrible, and just wanted to disappear. He knew, he would not be in this situation, if he did not overreact in the first place. But he fucked up pretty badly this time, and he hated himself for it. “I-I gotta go!” He stuttered and tried to escape, but only managed to take three steps before Craig’s giant hand grabbed his left wrist, forcing him to stop. He twitched and looked back at the noriette with the eyes of a cornered animal. “Let me go!” He hissed and tried to shake the hand off.

Craig’s heart sunk and his head hurt. He did not understand the situation and the sudden change of Tweek’s behavior at all.

“Tweek” Craig began with a concerned expression and a soft voice. His fingers kept holding the other’s wrist tightly. “What’s going on?”

The unexpected kindness and worry on his face caused Tweek to stop struggling. Craig let go of him, and they stood there in silence for a long minute before he spoke up again.

“I’m… sorry.” Craig whispered.

Tweek shot his head up and gazed at him with the saddest eyes Craig had ever seen. They were dark and watery from holding back the tears that tried to escape.

“No.” Tweek breathed out and slowly shook his head again, taking his eyes away from the other. “I’m sorry.” He apologized and put his hands in front of his chest. He felt his heart racing under his left wrist. He closed his eyes and breathed rapidly. He began sweating, his body shaking, guts twisting and mind screaming. Nausea rushed over him, as he felt the insects crawling under his skin again. And his damn wrist, it hurt like hell.

“Tweek?” Craig’s voice was low and gentle. He reached toward the blond man, but before he could touch his shoulder, he dropped his arm back to his side. He did not want to make the other dodge him again. “Are you… alright?”

Craig sounded so worried and concerned, it shuttered Tweek’s heart into a million pieces. No one ever cared about him, but now there was someone waiting for him to say something, someone who wanted to listen. But he was not sure if he was ready or even capable of saying it out loud. His throat was dry, and his lips were still sealed tight. He opened his eyes and glanced at Craig. Those captivating amber eyes were filled with care, fear and curiosity.

Tweek heard a loud bang, and the walls around his heart fell down.

He took his eyes away from Craig and looked at his jumper. He slowly moved his shaking hands, then grabbed the edge of the fabric and began pulling it up. It felt heavy, like lifting a rock with broken arms. He pulled the jumper over his head and could not breath. Eventually, he managed to free his head, followed by his right arm. He twitched as he looked at the left sleeve and aggressively bit down on his bottom lip. For a second, he was sure he could taste blood. He glanced one more time at Craig before getting rid of his jumper completely and dropping it on the floor. He stood there still, keeping his eyes on the floor, feeling tears building up in the corners of his eyes.

Craig’s entire body tensed as he watched the other man slowly taking the jumper off. He felt his heart in his throat and an uncomfortable feeling creeped inside him. The air felt cold and heavy around him. When the wet jumper landed on the carpet, he scrutinized the blond man standing in front of him like a nervous wreck. At first, he did not see anything strange or outstanding, and he was ready to give up the search and just ask Tweek about what was going on. But then he found _it_.

Craig Tucker’s eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat, his lips parted away and his heart stopped beating.

“Twe-Tweek...” He called out the other’s name with a broken voice and eagerly tried to meet his eyes, but Tweek did not look at him. He wanted to see the blue eyes, reach out and touch him, but he could not move. His sight was glued on the left arm of the shaking man.

Hearing Craig’s voice was the final straw. Tweek’s knees gave up and he plopped down to the ground. The carpet was soft and warm. He glanced up at Craig for a brief second before tearing his gaze away and looked at the long, deep, white scar on his left wrist. The shameful sign of his cursed past.

“I…” He began, but stopped when Craig sat down opposite to him. His golden orbs were filled with sadness and worry as he kept looking back and forth between his eyes and wrist. The piercing pain returned to Tweek’s wrist, and he felt the blood moving under his thin skin. He wrapped his right hand around it, worrying that the vital fluid would gush out of it again. He felt sick, so sick… But then Craig’s hand assuringly landed on his knee, and he calmed down a bit. A deep breath left his lips before he glanced at the noriette. “I guess I should start at the beginning…” He said with a broken smile.

Craig squeezed his knee gently and nodded, he did not dare to speak. It was not the time for him to say anything.

Tweek sighed and closed his eyes. He did it, he opened Pandora’s box, and twenty-two years of pain and secrets would fly out of it.

“My parents… They are not good people.” Tweek breathed out heavily. Craig never listened more intensely before. “I know they never really wanted a child… They just needed one to blend into society… I’m not even sure if they actually love each other or they just think of themselves as partners, but whatever it is, they never cared about me. The moment I was born I was cursed with loneliness.” He paused for a second and shook his head. “As a child I didn’t want anything more than being loved by them. But they barely held my hand and I only remember a few times when they hugged me. Mostly, it was just for the sake of pretending to be a happy family in front of others.” Tweek’s voice was weak and shaky as he tried to keep himself calm. “I saw other families playing and goofing around, and I wished I could have experienced that… But in our house, there was no playing and laughing. It was always quiet and empty. My parents were hardly home, they were constantly working at their beloved coffee shop. They loved that damned place more than anything and even named me after it…” Tweek scoffed. “At first, I blamed myself. I thought they hated me because I was… different.”

A twisted smile ruined Tweek’s pretty face and his eyes darkened. The tension in the room got so thick, one could have cut through it.

“I can’t remember any time when I wasn’t anxious… I was always on edge. Freaking out about pretty much everything. Even the shadow of a butterfly could give me a heart attack.” Tweek let out a short, harsh laugh before he continued. “I repeatedly twitched, busted my head into things and pulled my hair out.” He stopped and brushed some strands of beautiful golden hair behind his hear. “I couldn’t look into others’ eyes. I was afraid that they would kill me… and it wasn’t just a child’s imagination.” He sharply sucked some air in through his nose. “I had hallucinations.”

Tweek stopped again and looked at Craig. There were no more unshed tears in his eyes. They dried up and anger took their place.

“I was around eight or nine when the hallucinations began and my anxiety worsened with it. Sometimes I was afraid to leave the house, other times I went out and tried to play with the other kids, but they avoided me. Calling me a Spaz or other names. Most days I didn’t want to go to bed, I was afraid of falling asleep. I thought there were gnomes sneaking into my room at night to steal my underpants.”

Craig pulled his eyebrows up for a second.

“Everything was so overwhelming all the time… But lucky me, my parents knew just what I needed to calm down. They gave me coffee…” Tweek laughed, and the painful sound broke something in Craig. “Because there’s no better way to calm a child than pushing coffee down his throat every damn day since he was born.” He shook his head. “A caffeine addict ten-year-old, what a sight I was!” Tweek was shaking angrily. “But people started asking questions and worrying about me, so my parents came up with a new way to destroy my life for the sake of their own reputation. They told everyone that I’m suffering from ADD and that I’m already seeing a therapist.” He glanced up at Craig. “I’ve never met the therapist.” He said and casted his eyes down again. “Instead, they began to spice my coffee up with…”

Tweek stopped and began scratching his chest aggressively. Craig was worried that if there was no shirt between his nails and skin, it would have left marks on him. A few seconds passed by, and it looked like the blond had been struggling to continue.

“Tweek?”

Craig’s voice brough Tweek back to reality. Their eyes met and the blond stopped scratching.

“Sorry.” Tweek breathed out. “This is where things get rough.” He whispered and twitched.

“If you don’t want to…” Craig began but he got cut short by the other man.

“No!” Tweek yelped and sunk even deeper in the ground. “I… I want you… to know.” He whispered sadly. Craig nodded silently. “On the surface my parents looked like a nice and super friendly couple, who worked hard at their own coffee shop. Selling their own blends. But in reality, the shop was only there to sell their special blend under the table.” Tweek paused and a bitter grin appeared on his lips. “I don’t know why or when they started selling it, but when I turned thirteen… that’s when they began to mix their so-called special blend with my usual coffee.” Tweek sighed.

Craig frowned, he could not completely understand what the blond was talking about, but he did not want to interrupt him, so he kept quiet.

“At first, I really did feel better. It was great! My mood elevated and I could concentrate on my studies. I lost some weight and was full of energy. I even helped my parents out at the shop. And they looked like they were proud of me! The first time in my life, I believed they loved me, because I was finally useful to them. But then I started craving for their special blend even more and more.” Tweek began to anxiously jitter again. “I felt so high when I drank it. But when I couldn’t get it, I got angry, frustrated and the hallucinations came back, and God, they were worse than ever!” His voice had a high pitch as he continued. “It took me nearly a fucking year to figure out that my fucking parents put fucking meth in my fucking coffee!” He groaned, pulling his hair angrily.

Craig’s eyes widened and he forgot how to breath. He never in a million years would have guessed that Tweek used to be a junkie. He was not sure if he heard the blond right _. Just what kind of parents would do such a thing?!_ But there was no reason for Tweek to lie about something like this.

“I was so angry with them…” Tweek continued. The heat from his voice was gone and replaced by sadness and shame. “But by then… I was already hooked on it.” He stopped and began chewing on his thumb. “As much as I hated my parents and their drug, I couldn’t help it… I was already addicted. I lost my strength to fight and just… just kept living… the only way I knew how.”

Tweek sighed and looked up. The dark sky looked back at him from the other side of the window. So much emotion piled up inside him, that he was not sure if he should continue. It was painful, and every word burned his throat. His heart ached, and he worried it would stop working before he even got to the end. But for the first time in his life, he spoke up. He wanted to be heard, and he wanted Craig to hear his story.

“I was fifteen when I met Sam.” Tweek said and Craig’s eyebrows raised. “I met her in a party. She was seventeen, beautiful and high on ecstasy. I fell in love with her in a heartbeat.”

Sadness and longing tinted Tweek’s voice and Craig’s stomach twisted. He wanted to look at the blue eyes but they avoided him. In the end, curiosity got the better of him.

“What made you fall for her?” Craig dared to ask.

Finally, Tweek stared at him, but he did not see Craig. Those blue eyes were looking into the past, at the girl, deeply buried in his memories.

“Her eyes were dead. And she had the same expression on her face as my reflection, whenever I saw myself in the mirror.” A bitter smile arose on Tweek’s lips. “In an instant, I knew she and I were the same.” He whispered.

A crack appeared on Craig’s heart as he listened to Tweek.

“At the beginning, it was great… We got high, had sex, talked about how much we hated our parents. We thought about running away and living our lives somewhere else, where no one knew us. Then we fought, made up, got high on meth and fucked again for a couple more hours.” Tweek’s eyes darkened and he sounded just as emotionless as Craig usually did. “It went on like this for a few months, but then…” He paused. “But the thing is… If you fly too high too quickly and never take the time to learn how to land, eventually, you’re gonna crash.” He said and looked at Craig.

The atmosphere in the room changed from dark to pitch black. The air was filled with sadness and pain, and it was nearly unbearable. Craig swallowed hard. There was a knife pointed to his heart, and with every passing second it pushed itself deeper and deeper inside him.

“What… happened?” Craig asked but he was not sure if he was ready to hear the rest.

Tweek sighed and grabbed his left wrist, squeezing it so hard, his knuckles turned white.

“Our tolerance to meth developed rapidly, and we needed more and more. She started acting crazy and my hallucinations came back. Every time we ran out, it got worse… Withdrawal was a bitch and I started to completely lose it.”

Tweek stopped for a long second, he did not want to continue. His heart raced rapidly, his mouth was drier than a desert, and his wrist hurt really bad. He wanted to cry and scream but his body felt weak and heavy.

“One time I was having a bad day… A really, really bad day…” Tweek’s voice was so quiet, that if any of them moved, Craig would not have been able to hear him anymore. “I was so fucked up, I honestly can’t remember anymore what the reason was. Maybe I had a fight with Sam or my parents or I was low on drugs… I really don’t know… The only thing I remember is that I was freaking out, I saw demons and dead people appearing in my room. And those fucking insects were crawling under my skin again. I felt them moving inside of me… I wanted to get them out of me…” His voice broke for a second, as he squeezed his wrist even tighter. “I tried to scratch them out. My fingers were covered in blood, but they were still inside. And those fucking demons and underpant gnomes kept laughing at me…. And…” He bit down on his bottom lip. “I was freaking out more than ever before, and there was no one at home to help me and Sam didn’t answer her damn phone… So, I ran down to the kitchen to make myself a coffee… and that’s when I saw it.” He paused. Every bit of light disappeared from his blue orbs. They were the eyes of a dead man. “There was a knife on the counter, as if it was waiting for me…” He pulled his arms to his chest and shook madly. Craig wanted to calm him, but he could not move. “I grabbed the knife and…” Tweek felt like he was going to throw up as the memories of the bright red blood squirting from his body flooded his mind. “I couldn’t take it anymore… I just wanted it to be over!”

And that moment, Tweek finally cried. He never told this to anyone before. All these feelings, the fear, the pain and sorrow that piled up inside him turned into drops and flowed down his cheeks. Like unstoppable rivers of tear.

Without thinking, Craig’s body moved. His arms reached out for Tweek and grabbed him, pulling the weeping man to his chest. His heart ached as he held the other tightly. He never heard a cry like this before, and the pain was unbearable. He was not sad or mad anymore. Craig was completely broken. He did not want to believe that someone like Tweek, so kind and pure, went through Hell. _How could life be so cruel?_ He had so many questions, but Tweek deserved the rest he needed in Craig’s loving arms.

Under the dark night sky, with only a handful of stars piercing through the clouds, the two of them held onto each other, desperately trying to heal the deep wounds on the young man’s broken soul. They stayed like that for a long time, before Tweek got quiet and ran out of tears to shed.

After a while, Tweek realized it was time for him to go home. However, the idea did not sit quite well with Craig, and he only let Tweek go with the condition that he would walk him home.

They wandered through the empty, cold streets in silence. Craig wished to hold Tweek’s hand to confirm that he was not just dreaming it. He wanted to feel the warmth of the other’s body to make sure that he was alive next to him. His heart raced and could not calm down since he hugged Tweek. Every time he glanced at the blond man and saw his puffy, bloodshot eyes his heart skipped a beat. He wanted to give all of his love to Tweek.

***

It was nearly one in the morning. Craig sat on his mattress, patting Stripe in his lap and gazing at the sky through the window. He could not sleep. His mind was filled with questions and his heart overwhelmed by emotions.

He never felt so lonely before.

He grabbed his phone and began scrolling through his contacts. His finger suddenly stopped and pressed the screen.

“Are you drunk, arrested or dying?” Came the welcoming question.

A soft smile appeared on Craig’s lips once he heard his sister’s slightly annoyed voice.

“None.” He answered and looked at Stripe.

“Then, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected call from my beloved brother?” Asked Tricia and giggled.

“Nothing special, I guess, I … wanted to hear your voice?” He muttered and his cheeks turned into a soft shade of pink.

“You sure you’re right?” Tricia sounded concerned, but Craig just smiled.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine.” He mumbled. “I just had a long and eventful day… And I wanted to talk to someone.”

“And from all the people, you chose me?” She mocked him.

“Maybe you were right, and I really am dying, otherwise, why would I thought that I miss my little brat sister?” He chuckled.

Tricia’s laugh filled the air. It took her some time to calm down and respond.

“I miss you too, asshole.” She smirked.

Love filled Craig’s broken heart.

“Hey, Trish.”

“Hm?”

Craig deeply breathed in and gazed at the sky. It cleared up a bit, and hundreds of stars twinkled. He wished to be home.

“I’m glad you are my sister.” He whispered, and his words faded into the darkness.

A short pause followed his confession, before he heard Tricia’s tender voice breaking through the silence.

“I love you too, Craig.”

***

Once he got home, Tweek rushed upstairs and closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door, before his legs gave up and he slipped down to the floor.

He felt sad, fractured, lost, tired and sick… But most importantly, under the darkness consuming his heart, he felt a long-forgotten emotion rising up. _Hope._ He could not remember the last time he felt so happy. There was someone in this cursed world who knew his secret and did not push him away or judge him.

His eyes began watering up, and before he could stop himself, he cried again. But this time, it was different. These were tears of happiness, because from now on… **_He was not alone anymore._**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again, for everyone getting this far with me! I can't believe that we are halfway through the story :o
> 
> But most importantly!
> 
> The super talented and sweet Pan Peng surprised me with these amazing and beautiful fanarts last week, this is a scenario from chapter 5 ;)  
>  If you have a minute to spare check it out and show her some love!
>
>> 화질 무사해라... [pic.twitter.com/9VpM91Otup](https://t.co/9VpM91Otup)
>> 
>> — 라비밀리 ♡♡ !! 팬펭(ㅐㅔ) (@aaas20000) [October 22, 2020](https://twitter.com/aaas20000/status/1319264967929942017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)


	8. Don’t stop believin’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you guys all, and I hope you're gonna enjoy this chapter!

“Sorry my boy, did I wake you up?”

“No, not at all Uncle.” Tweek replied as he held the phone to his ears and watched the cracks on his ceiling. The truth was, he did not sleep at all that night.

“That’s a relief.” The man said. “You’re not working today, are you?” Uneasiness clung to his voice.

“No. I took the day off.”

“Great! I was wondering, would you like to come over for lunch? Suzie would be glad to have you around.”

Tweek grabbed his mug of coffee from the windowsill and stared at it. He was not really in the mood to leave his bed; however, he knew that would only make his Uncle and Auntie worried. So, he closed his eyes and deeply inhaled.

“Yeah… I would love to.” He lied with a heavy heart.

“Brilliant! I needed to go to the shop anyway to sort out some paperwork. Would you be able to help me with them before we go home for lunch?” The man mumbled.

“Sure.”

“Good! I will be there like…” He paused for a second. “in an hour?”

“Sounds good. See you soon Joe.”

“See you soon Tweek.” His uncle said his goodbye in a sad, low tone before he hung up.

A tired sigh left the blond man’s lips as he eyed his phone’s screen, the date on it burned a hole into his soul. Sitting on his bed he took a sip of his coffee. It was dark and bitter; nostalgia was swirling in it. He reached for his pack of cigarettes. He took one out and lit it up with shaking hands, knowing well that he would need a lot more than just three or four to survive the day.

***

Craig impatiently glanced at his phone at least the millionth time that night. As the hours passed, a strange, uncomfortable feeling creeped up on him, and he could not shake it off.

When Craig arrived to the coffee shop this morning Tweek was not there. Which was rear, considering that the blond always worked on Friday mornings. So, while he was walking to his first lecture – with his non-Tweek-made coffee, which definitely did not taste as good as the ones the blond barista made for him – he sent a quick message to him. Usually the other would reply pretty quickly, but not this time. He did not receive any response from him since then, and with every passing hour he got more and more frustrated and worried. It was already seven and Craig had to go to work. However, he could not focus on his tasks properly.

He was kneeling in front of one of their fridges and was in the process of refilling it, when his co-worker returned from the restroom, where he shamelessly spent the last fifteen minutes. He was around the same age as Craig and also a college student with light brown hair, dirty blue eyes and a chunky build.

“So, what’s going on Tucker, did your mysterious girlfriend break up with you?” The man mocked him with a smug face.

Craig’s hands froze in the air for a brief second once he heard the cocky presumption. He thought about Tweek and his stomach flipped.

“No, Adam, my girlfriend” He paused for a moment. “did not break up with me.” He articulated every word with a hint of irritation. The other man let out a harsh laugh as he passed him.

“If not, then you two totally had a fight.” He kept giggling and squatted down next to the noriette.

“Just why the fuck do you think that?” Craig grunted and gave the other man a cold look.

“Well…” Adam began with a sly smile. The arrogance in his voice obnoxiously reminded Craig of the man he hated the most, Eric motherfucker Cartman. “I haven’t known you for too long, but I did notice that you’re always on your phone messaging your girl.” He continued and Craig stared at him with an unimpressed face. For some unknown reason, one day Adam came to the conclusion that Craig had a girlfriend, and the raven-haired man did not deny it. The idea of calling Tweek his lover fluttered his heart. “But today is different.” Adam pointed at Craig with a mischievous half-sided smile. “You look even more pissed than usual, and I didn’t see you type at all, even though your eyes are literally glued to your phone. So, I figured you guys must had a fight before you came here.” He summed up his observation with a self-satisfied look on his face.

“We didn’t fight.” Craig grumbled and stood up. Once he was on his feet, he dusted his knees off and walked behind the counter.

“Okey, man, whatever.” Adam shrugged with a pompous smile, but before he had a chance to continue annoying Craig even further, a car drove into the patrol station, saving Craig from the uncomfortable conversation. He checked his phone one more time before the customer stepped inside. There was still no response from Tweek…

Half an hour later Craig was ready to punch Adam in the face if he dared to say one more world. However, luck was on the other man’s side, and Craig’s phone began ringing on the countertop. Never in his life did Craig grab his phone quicker than in that moment when he saw Tweek’s name appear on the screen. He took his phone and rushed inside the changing room for some privacy. He took a deep breath in desperate need of calming himself down before he answered the call.

“Hey.” He greeted the blond and just hoped his voice did not sound as excited as he felt. Although he did not receive any response from the other side for a short time, which made him anxious. “Tweek?” He breathed, feeling his heart in his throat.

“Craig” Finally, Tweek spoke. He sounded huskier than usual – most like from smoking too much – his voice was weak, and despair echoed in it. Craig immediately tensed up. “Sorry I didn’t reply to your message earlier.” He apologized.

“Don’t worry.” Craig shook his head lightly and leaned back against his locker. “I bet you were busy.” His fist clenched.

“I…” Tweek began but then paused again, and Craig felt his heartrate speeding up. “Are you working tonight?” He asked quietly but a fragment of hope tinted his voice.

Craig looked around in the dirty, poorly lit room and sighed resignedly. He already did so many stupid things in his life, one more would not hurt.

“No, I’m home.” He said rapidly. “Do you want me to come over?” He blurted out and bit down on his bottom lip as he impatiently waited for the answer.

“Just… if it isn’t a problem for you?” Tweek muttered and Craig’s heart pounded loudly in his chest.

“Not at all.”

“Thank you, Craig.” The blond sighed in relief and Craig could not help, but smile.

“Don’t thank me. I’m gonna get ready and be there soon.”

“Sounds great.” Tweek sounded a bit more uplifted, but before Craig could hung up, the blond suddenly continued. “Oh, and I completely run out of food, so…” He mumbled with a hint of shame, which causes the noriette to let out a soft laugh.

“I could stop by the convenience store near your place and grab some food.” Craig snickered and brushed his fingers through his hair. “Is there anything special you want from there?”

“They have this fruit salad mix… next to the sandwiches…it has mango in it…” Tweek began, sounding a bit uncomfortable about asking the other to buy him food.

“Got it.” Craig cut in. “I’ll be there soon.” He said softly and the kindness in his voice caught the blond off guard.

“I-I’ll be waiting!” Tweek stuttered and Craig smiled before he hung up.

He hid his phone in his jeans’ pocket and walked to the privet restroom to wash off the joy and excitement from his face before he returned to the shop.

Adam felt puzzled when Craig came back from the staffroom, fully changed into his own clothes with his backpack. It took him a moment to finally put the things together and, when it happened, a devious smile appeared on his lips.

“Was it your girlfriend?”

“Maybe.” Craig replied stoically, but again, his heart fluttered as he thought about Tweek. “Also, I’m sick so I’m going home.” He stated as he walked towards the entrance.

“You don’t look so sick.” The other man gave him a curious look.

“But I am.” Craig did not even bother to look back at his co-worker.

“Well, I think you’re lying Tucker.” The way he talked forced Craig to stop and turn his gaze at him.

“What do you want?” He narrowed his piercing amber eyes and pursed his lips.

“Cover three of my shifts.”

“Deal.” Craig nodded.

“And also get me a date with a chick.” A triumphant grin cracked on Adam’s face once he heard Craig’s annoyed moan. “And better be a hot one, otherwise I may tell the boss about your fake sickness.”

“Sure.” Craig said with a blank face and turned back to the exit. Before he left the shop, he heard the other man shout after him.

“Enjoy your night you horny bastard!”

Craig turned around and flipped him the bird, then walked away.

Once he was far from the station, he called the only one who could help him out with Adam’s bothersome request. He knew it would cost him a lot, but it was worth it, because Tweek needed him.

“Hey Bebe, I have a favor to ask.” He blurted out before the blonde girl even had a chance to greet him.

***

The convenience store was only a minute or two away from the coffee shop, but Craig felt like he was never going to get there while he walked through the aisles, searching for snacks. His eyes finally found the little plastic boxes of fruit salads which Tweek mentioned earlier, and put four of them into his basket. A pleasant warmth filled his chest as he imagined the blond’s happy face. However, the warmth turned into a chill the moment an unpleasant voice disturbed his daydreaming.

“Cr-Craig?”

He recognized the voice immediately and his blood began to boil with displeasure. The thought of just ignoring the undesirable woman crossed his mind for a brief moment, but quickly dropped the idea when he realized it could very much cause him to end up on Tweek’s bad side. He frowned and clenched his jaw before facing his enemy.

Annie smiled at him the same way she did every time they met in the coffee shop and her boring blue orbs lustered with enthusiasm as she locked eyes with him.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” She gasped and put her hand over her mouth for a second before she continued. Her closeness was uncomfortable for Craig, but he was stuck between her and the giant fridge where they kept the salads. “I-I caught your name when your friends visited us not so long ago.” She kept blabbing and shifted her weight on her feet. “I’m Annie.” Finally, she introduced herself with fluttering eyes.

“Hi.” Craig said. However, his impassive expression and cold eyes were not enough hints for the girl to just leave him alone. Her perfume was heavy and way too sweet for Craig’s taste.

“What a surprise seeing you here.” She continued and excitement overflowed her voice. But when she did not receive any response she glanced away and bit on her bottom lip. “Are you shopping?” She asked.

Craig raised an eyebrow before lifting his basket a bit higher so she can clearly see the evidence.

Embarrassment flashed over Annie’s face as she realized how stupid she sounded. She could not remember the last time she felt so awkward. _What else would Craig do in a grocery store?_ Then something caught her eyes.

“Do you like this salad?” She looked at the tiny plastic boxes in Craig’s basket before she glanced back at him. “That’s Tweek’s favorite.” She smiled. Her smile was soft and full of adoration, and the first time in his life Craig could kind of understand why Tweek was so fond of her. _She really did have a pretty smile…_ However, the fact that she knew what the other man’s favorite was pissed Craig off. “Oh, yeah! You probably don’t know him! He’s the blond manager guy in the shop.” She blabbed and pushed some hair behind her ear.

Craig did not like the way she acted while she talked about Tweek. Also, he could not stand that the girl thought he did not know him. Anger and jealousy swirled inside his stomach.

“I know who he is.” He blurted out without even thinking through.

Annie’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh!” She gasped. “You do?” The girl looked at him with confused and suspicious eyes.

Realization struck in Craig, he really fucked it up. He needed to think quickly and came up with an acceptable reasoning. But this time, luck was on his side, and a memory came back to him. He pointed at his own chest before locking eyes with the perplexed girl.

“Nametag.” He stated with a stoic voice and saw as Annie’s face turned pink and her lips aparted.

“Tha-that’s right! I completely forgot that we have them.” She giggled uncomfortably and rubbed the back of her neck.

Craig harshly inhaled through his nose before he nodded at her and turned around to continue his shopping. He was done with her and did not want to waste any more time, while he could already be at Tweek’s. Where he was needed and expected and also where he wanted to be. Nevertheless, the girl followed him.

“I’ve never seen you here before, do you live close by?” She kept talking.

She really got on Craig’s last nerve. He squeezed his basket and stopped, narrowing his eyes at Annie.

“Sorry, I’m kind of in a rush.” He said coldly.

“Oh, sorry to hold you up!” She apologized. Her face turned red again under the weight of Craig’s mesmerizing golden orbs. “I really should keep going as well.” She nodded and stepped away from him. Finally, Craig could breathe again. “I guess, I would see you soon?” She asked and her face broke into a shy smile but the best she could get out of the man as a response was a quick nod. She stood there for a couple of more uncomfortable seconds, waiting for something more, which never came, so with a hint of disappointment she waved at him and turned around her heels to leave.

The moment she disappeared Craig let out an annoyed groan. He wasted nearly fifteen minutes of his time while he could already be with Tweek. He was pissed and grumpy. Why did he have to bump into this girl of all people? He was slightly squinting as he kept walking towards to store with tight jaws.

Eventually he arrived to the shelves where they kept the varieties of snacks. His sight settled on one of them. No one ever looked at a bag of chips with such a murderous eye as Craig Tucker did that night.

***

When Craig arrived in front of the already closed coffee shop, his previous anger turned into a tickling sensation which filled his stomach. He clenched his grip around the packed plastic bag as he waited for Tweek to arrive. It was completely dark inside, until a ray of light came from the back with the long-awaited blond man soon following it. Tweek stepped into the blackness and rushed towards the entrance. A flame of desire flickered inside Craig’s chest and the overwhelming warmth caused his cheeks to turn a bit pinker, his eyes a bit shinier and the corners of his lips curved up just a little bit.

Although, when he saw Tweek’s tired and dark eyes a light shower poured on his heart and the fire of excitement went out leaving only undying ashes and embers behind.

“Hey.” Tweek greeted Craig with a ghost of a smile and as a result he received a baffled expression from the noriette. “I may look like a piece of shit and I can guarantee you that I totally feel like that.” He summed up before Craig had a chance to say or ask anything. “But I’m glad you came.” He said and gave a faint but honest smile to the raven-haired man. Tweek did not want to be alone in that moment, and the only one he could think of spending time with was no other than Craig Tucker.

The flames in Craig’s heart awakened.

“I got you food.” That was the best answer Craig could come up while he lifted the plastic bag up to show it to the other.

A little light returned to the blue eyes.

“Thanks Craig.” Tweek nodded and opened the door wider, to let the other in.

Craig caught a whiff of smoke as he passed Tweek.

They walked upstairs in the usual way, surrounded by darkness and silence.

“Would you tell me what’s bothering you?” Craig asked once they got inside the bedroom.

Tweek plopped down on his bed. With a resigned sigh he glanced over to the black-haired man, who lied on his back and kept his hypnotizing amber eyes on the ceiling. It was Tweek’s idea to invite the other over, therefore, he really should start talking and explain his gloomy mood to the man who patiently waited next to him.

“Today…” He paused and smoothed out a crease on his sheet. “It’s my mother’s birthday.” He whispered into the cold air.

A dull pain appeared in Craig’s chest as he heard the sadness in the other’s voice. He rolled to his side and kept his eyes on the blond man.

“Did you talk to…?”

“No.” Tweek shook his head slowly. “I wish I could, but…” He harshly inhaled through his nose and lightly jittered. “It’s kind of complicated.”

Craig wished to say something but did not know what, he had never been good at it, and the only thing he could think of was hugging Tweek, but that would be awkward… So, he just lied there and hoped that the other would continue without his interaction.

“I didn’t see my parents since I left the courtroom…” Tweek bit down on his bottom lip. “after they had been sentenced to jail.”

The air froze in the room, and that heavy uncomfortable feeling which haunted Craig since the day Tweek told him about his past returned.

“I’m sure they hate me.”

“I’m sure they don’t.” Craig blurted out, not being able to imagine how could anyone hate Tweek. Although, he did remember what his parents did to him, and his blood began to boil with hatred and despise. “But why would you even care? I mean, they ruined your life.” Craig clenched his grip; he may not personally know Tweek’s parents, but he already hated them with a passion of a thousand burning suns.

“That’s true, but…” Tweek sighed. “If I didn’t care, they wouldn’t be able to break my heart.” He stopped for a second and swallowed. “I guess, at least for me… love and hate go hand in hand.” His sight settled on Craig and his lips curled into a tiny, bitter smile with gratefulness reflecting from his deep blue eyes. A calming warmness welled inside his chest from the way Craig looked at him.

A lone butterfly awoke in Tweek’s stomach.

“Thanks to me, they lost everything important to them.” He shook his head and lied down next to Craig. He casted his eyes on the ceiling, watching the appearing and disappearing shadows. “Just because I happened to decide to kill myself that day.” He paused for a short moment. “But being such a useless shit, I couldn’t even do it properly…” He brought his hands to his chest once the pain returned into his wrist. He enclosed his right grip around his left wrist, squeezing it tightly as the sorrow-coated memories overflowed his mind.

Craig’s stomach twisted as he saw the blond’s ingrained habit surfacing again. He did not want to see Tweek in pain. His hand moved with determination as he peeled Tweek’s right hand off and took possession over the other one. He moved the blond man’s left arm down to the mattress and did not let it go.

Their eyes locked, and even though Craig did not say a world, his eyes spoke to Tweek. Telling him that even if he himself was not sure about the worth of his own existence, there was at least one person in this awful and unfair world who cared about him. It gave him strength and courage to carry on.

The sole butterfly flew up, its fragile wings tickled Tweek’s inside.

“I’m not proud of the person I used to be.” Tweek sighed and his body jerked. “But what I’m most shameful of is…” His voice was tight and low, full of embarrassment and guilt. “In that moment, when I sat on the floor and the unbearable pain pushed me closer to fainting with every second… I watched my blood leaving my body and… I was so happy …” His entire body stiffened, and the air thickened around them.

An arrow pierced through Craig’s heart.

“It’s horrible, I know, but I just felt so relieved… That all of the pain and madness will vanish and… this idea sounded so peaceful…” Every bit of light vanished from Tweek’s blue eyes.

It was rare that Craig felt like crying, but now he did. He squeezed Tweek’s fingers as he fought back his tears. He never wanted to hear these words, and he never wanted to see the horrible image of the blond man’s lifeless body. His heart bled from the hole the arrow left in it.

“I’m glad you failed.” Craig’s voice was weak and shuttered but the most honest he ever sounded. And he meant every word he said.

Craig’s heart stopped for a dangerously long second when he felt Tweek’s fingers slowly moving under his palm, and without any warning, they slipped between Craig’s own ones. The world froze, the air disappeared from the room and every noise ceased, except the sound of the raven-haired man’s racing heart. They lied there in silence, fingers interlocked and Tweek smiled at him. It was the softest and most beautiful smile Craig had ever seen. His entire body tingled. He knew this would be a moment he would never forget. A memory which burned into his heart.

“Who…” Craig took a deep breath while gently squeezing Tweek’s hand. His heart ached. “found you?”

“Sam.” Tweek exhaled and rolled to his side, facing the raven-haired man. Only a couple of inches separated them. The air around him smelled like smoke, sweat and the unique but so comforting odor of Craig. The tender sensation of the other man’s hand holding his own calmed the stormy ocean down inside his soul. “At least that’s what the nurses told me in the hospital after I woke up.” A halfhearted smile crossed his lips. “I assume she saw that I was calling her earlier, and after she tried to call me back without any success, she came over and found me.”

Craig fondled the scar with the most affectionate way possible, like he was unintentionally trying to erase it. The phantom pain gradually disappeared from Tweek’s wrist.

“She was the one who called 911, and as I heard she stayed at my side until they rolled me into the ER.” Tweek stopped and glanced at Craig, sad amber eyes looked back at him. “Then she just left.” He pressed out and the following silence was heavy and painful. “I never saw her again.” He whispered; heartbreak echoed in his words as he tore his gaze away from the noriette.

Craig opened his mouth then closed it and opened it again, he could not shape a word. Silence filled the air, while he held onto the other man’s hand.

“What” Craig bit down on his bottom lip before forcing himself to continue. “happened… after you woke up?”

Tweek sighed and closed his eyes, collecting his repressed memories.

“It was like a fairytale.” He scoffed with a sour smile. “I woke up and there was no Heaven or Hell, just blinding white walls, monotone noises and that unmistakable sickening hospital stench.” He pinched the bridge of his nose like he could still smell it. “Let’s just say it didn’t take too long for the doctors to figure out I was a junkie.” A harsh laugh escaped through his lips and his eyes began to twitch. “Ev-eventually, I… I t-told them everything and the police arrested my parents on the same day.” He breathed out and his left hand jittered. He unconsciously tried to pull it closer to his chest again, but before he had a chance Craig tightened his grip on it and pushed it back to the mattress. When Tweek finally relaxed he loosened his grip.

Tweek twisted his head towards the ceiling as he tried to block out the sound of his pounding heart. Another butterfly appeared, and the two enchanting creatures slowly began to dance around each other.

The bitter feeling of rejection poisoned Craig’s heart when the other turned away.

“Everything was crazy while I was in the hospital. The police questioned me, withdrawal was killing me and I was constantly craving. I cried for hours every day, asking for a quick relief or just to let me die… I tried to call Sam at least a million times but she never answered her phone…. And then one day my uncle came in.” Tweek glanced at Craig before he turned back his sight to the ceiling. “He told me that they will take care of me, and everything was going to be fine…” Gratitude lightened in his hollow eyes. “After the hospital discharged me, I went to Sam’s place. But… She wasn’t there anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Craig asked and frowned.

“She ran away… Not even leaving a note behind.” His voice sounded deeper than usual, and his grip tightened around the other’s fingers. “That was her way of saying goodbye.”

“Do you miss her?” Craig swallowed and tried to ignore the sadness inside his heart.

Tweek’s eyes softened and his lips curled upwards a bit.

“No. She’s in the past, and that’s where she belongs.” He said it slowly and closed his eyes. “And honestly, there were days when even I wasn’t sure if she was real or just another hallucination.” Tweek opened his eyes, and countless emotions whirled inside his blue irises. “But she was definitely real. She left a cigarette burn on my right ankle as a reminder.” A surprisingly joyful grim appeared on his face. Craig raised an eyebrow, and his perplexed face elevated Tweek’s mood. “Long story short, don’t do drugs.” He laughed wholeheartedly the first time that day.

His laughter filled Craig’s heart and healed the wounds on it.

“I wish you were there to tell this to Clyde and I when we got high and thought it would be a good idea the climb a tree to sneak into the property of Token’s family.” The noriette moaned, but a ghost of a smile appeared in the corner of his lips.

“Why? What happened?” Tweek’s eyes twinkled with excitement and curiosity. He inched a bit closer to Craig.

“Well, first of all, Clyde is an idiot, and I should have never listened to him.” He eyed Tweek and his thumb lightly brushed against the blond’s finger. “We were already on the tree close to the fence, when he suddenly remembered that he’s afraid of heights, and panicked. Then, that moron began to cry that if he died, he wouldn’t be able to make up with Bebe, tell her how much he loves her and eventually marry her.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, he pulled on my jacket and my leg slipped, so we fell.” He sighed in frustration. “And guess what? We did not die.” Craig scoffed, and a small giggle escaped through Tweek’s lips. “That asshole got away without a scratch.” He groaned. “And I ended up in the hospital with a fractured arm and a twisted ankle.” Craig’s face twisted.

The sight of the unexpected grimace caused the last bit of heaviness to lift from Tweek’s heart and he burst into a fit of delighted laughter.

“I-I-I’m so-sorry.” He stuttered and sat up on the bed, wiping the happy tears down from his cheeks. Their fingers still held onto each other.

The number of butterflies increased inside Tweek’ stomach, and his face heated up as he tried to calm himself down.

A smile cracked on Craig’s face as he watched the beautiful blond man next to him. He looked so much more uplifted than before, and the sadness disappeared completely from his blue eyes.

The sudden sound of a growling stomach disrupted them, and the blond man stopped laughing.

“Hungry?” Craig snickered and propped himself up.

“Actually, I’m starving.” A sheepish smile sat on Tweek’s lips as he glanced at the other.

“Should we eat then?”

Tweek nodded and his fingers slipped out from the other’s hand as he stood up. Craig could not help but feel a faint disappointment when their hands separated, but eventually, he followed the blond man to the kitchen.

They grabbed some snacks and returned to the room, while Craig continued to shower Tweek with all kinds of stories from his childhood. As the blond listened to him talking, his heart filled with overwhelming happiness and a permanent smile sticked to his lips. The way Craig talked about his loved ones was mesmerizing, even with his stoic and usually sarcastic tone, his eyes could not lie. Adoration, trust and care reflected in his blazing golden orbs.

Thousands of emotions hid under the blank mask, that Craig Tucker usually put on his face, only showing them to a carefully selected few, and Tweek Tweak was one of them…

***

Tweek sat in his kitchen silently, smoking a joint, while Craig was peacefully snoring in the bed. It was already past two in the morning and he felt intoxicated from not getting any sleep in more than two days. He blew out the last bit of smoke from the cigarette before he stubbed it. His eyes were heavy and the anxiety – which haunted him since Wednesday evening, when he realized his mother’s birthday was on Friday – finally disappeared. It was already Saturday. Thanks to Craig, the pain and sadness were gone, and admiration and gratefulness filled its place. He was finally ready to go to sleep.

When he quietly sneaked back to his room, Craig was still in deep slumber, laying on his back with the blanket barely covering his legs. The wan moonlight gently kissed his face, giving him unworldly beauty. Tweek could not take his eyes off him as he stepped closer to him.

“Thank you.” He whispered and smiled while he brushed Craig’s bangs to the side. Curiosity awoke inside him as he watched the sleeping man’s peaceful face. His lashes were surprisingly long, his hair unfairly silky, his skin perfectly smooth and his lips…

Tweek swallowed while his stomach fluttered and flipped nervously as he leaned forward. Craig’s even breathing tickled his face and he paused for a mere second before closing the gap between their lips.

It was like a kiss a ten-year-old child would give to their first crush; quick, awkward and innocent.

Craig’s body suddenly moved and Tweek immediately jerked away. His heart was pounding heavily in his chest as he rushed to the other side of his bed, pulling the blanket over his head. He waited under his cover for Craig’s awakening, but the black-haired man did not make any further moves.

Infinite butterflies awoke inside Tweek’s stomach.

The last thing in his mind, before he fell asleep, was just how soft and warm Craig’s lips were…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You expected Craig to make the first move, but it was me, Dio! (I mean Tweek)
> 
> Random Jojo reference aside, I really don't know how I feel about this chapter, so pls let me know what you think about it.


	9. I swear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love a good bromance?

The first thing Craig saw when he opened his eyes was the embodiment of the Sun quietly sleeping next to him. The beautiful golden mess of hair shimmered in the morning light, and the closer he inched to the sleeping man the warmer he felt. While he observed all the little details of the other’s face, the thought of waking up next to Tweek every morning ran through his mind, opening his eyes to see this handsome man, pulling him closer and snuggling up between the sheets. _It would be nice_ … Hesitantly, he reached out to the other, but then he remembered the way Tweek talked about Annie, and the way the girl smiled when she mentioned her boss in the previous day, and Craig’s hand retreated. Falling back to the sheet as his stomach twisted. Loneliness and longing merged inside him while he kept his eyes on the man, he would most likely never have a chance with.

Carefully, he tore his gaze away and slipped out of the bed, putting his shirt back on, tiptoeing his way to the kitchen. He glanced back at Tweek once more, before closing the bedroom’s door behind him. The kitchen was quiet and cold compared to the warm bed which he just abandoned and the air there was smoky thanks to the full ashtray resting on the table. He slowly shook his head and shuffled towards the bathroom.

With every passing day he felt more and more tired and hungry. He wanted to feel and be touched. He was craving for anything to satisfy his longing for Tweek. _But again, he chose the wrong man…_

He splashed some cold water in his face before returning to the kitchen. Once there, he narrowed his eyes to the coffee machine as he moved closer to it. It looked complicated.

When Tweek woke up this morning there was no Craig in the bed next to him, so he came to the conclusion that he most likely imagined everything from last night, and he had a really weird dream… But when he heard noises coming from the kitchen he froze. His heart skipped a beat. He was not just imagining things. Craig was there, and the memory of what he just did last night with the sensation of the other’s lips came back to him at once. He sat on his bed with a sober mind and a numb body. It took him some time to convince himself to leave the safety of his bedroom and face the other. But when he arrived to the kitchen, he found a confused-looking Craig in there. He heard his own heartbeats and his stomach lurched.

“Do you need some help?” He asked, after a few seconds of observing the troubled noirette.

Tweek’s voice was sleepy and deeper than usual, it sent a shiver down Craig’s spine.

“I got this.” Craig mumbled and looked back at him. Which he decided was not a good idea, because the moment his eyes settled on the half-asleep man, he felt his entire body warming up from unwanted excitement. He was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a boxer and Craig could not stop his wondering eyes from taking a look at the blond man’s long and muscular legs. He swallowed before he made eye contact with the blond. Their eyes met for a brief second before both of them looked away. A slight tension swirled in the air. He quickly turned his attention back to the machine. His heart was pounding and his pants felt a bit tighter while he tried to focus on the impossible task of figuring out how to make a coffee. However, uncomfortably long seconds passed and he still did not get any closer to the solution. So, with a resigned sigh, he gave up. “I surrender.” He moaned and the other’s chuckle followed his confession. Tweek stepped next to him and his scent filled Craig’ nose. It was dangerously tempting.

The blond man leaned closer and shooed his hand away from his precious device. Their fingers brushed against each other and Tweek jittered. He felt Craig’s eyes on him but he could not bring himself to look at the other man. Shame and guilt overflowed his soul, although, it looked like the other did not have a clue about what he did to him last night. Tweek bit down on his lip before he moved slightly away from Craig and looked him in the eye.

“You’re kind of in my way, man.” A tight smile crossed Tweek’s face, and tried to ignore just how radiant Craig’s eyes were. “But if you really want to be helpful… could you grab some food from the fridge?”

“Sure.” Craig gave a curt nod and walked to the refrigerator.

The sudden tension in the air eased and Tweek could finally breathe again. Although, that uncomfortable feeling in his stomach did not disappear. He forced himself to focus completely on his task, even though, he could easily make a coffee on this machine anymore.

“Are you working today?” Craig asked while he was scanning through the fridge, wisely considering his choices.

“Uh-huh” Tweek hummed and grabbed two mugs from his cupboard. “I’m opening the shop at eight.”

“What time is it now?” Craig shot his head up. A box of fruit salad rested in his hand.

Tweek stopped his work and frowned.

“It was around quarter to seven when I woke up…” Tweek realized it was a while ago. “I guess we should hurry up a bit?”

Craig shrugged and stood up, hugging the leftovers from yesterday’s shopping, and closing the fridge’s door with his leg. He placed the little snacks, which could be hardly called a breakfast, to the table and shuffled towards the counter to collect some cutlery and plates.

“Fine by me.” He replied as he walked back to the dining table. “I need to get ready for that stupid date anyway.” He grumbled and plopped into a chair.

“A-a da-date?” Tweek turned around, facing him, eyes widened, mugs in both of his hands.

Craig froze in his seat. He completely forgot the other man did not know about it. The first thing on his mind was to just quickly clarify his circumstances. However, Tweek’s reaction caught his attention, he looked surprised and even a bit concerned. Sadistic pleasure spread through his body mixing with a hint of excitement.

“Oh, yeah… but don’t worry Honey, it’s nothing serious.” He eyed Tweek with a smug face, feeling his heart racing as the blond’s pale cheeks turned red.

Tweek quickly looked away, keeping his eyes on his coffee. Electricity rushed through his veins. _Did he just call him Honey?_ But then again, he was going on a date with someone…. He slowly drank his coffee. It tasted more bitter than usual.

The reaction Tweek gave him, was not the one Craig hoped for. Disappointment kicked his heart’s door in.

“Actually, it’s just a date with Clyde.” He felt the urgent need to explain himself.

Tweek’s head shot up and he frowned as he looked at Craig with disbelief.

“Wait, what? Your friend, Clyde?” He gasped and walked to the table, handing over a mug to the noirette.

“Yup.” Craig nodded and took a sip of his drink. It tasted exactly the way he liked it.

“But….” Tweek paused, and his perplexed face was adorable. Craig bit back a smile. “Isn’t he Bebe’s boyfriend?”

“Well, yes.” He chuckled at the blond and leaned a bit closer, resting his chin on his palm.

Tweek felt lost and confused. He sat down opposite to Craig, and looked at him. Mischief flickered in the amber eyes.

“Care to explain?”

“Sure, but first…” Craig said and pushed the fruit salad with a fork in front of him. Tweek eyed it for a second before glancing back at the black-haired man with a lopsided smile.

“Thanks.” Tweek opened the plastic box and took a mango chunk out of it. His eyes shimmered as he tasted his favorite fruit. The look on his face brought joy to Craig.

“Ok, so it started when I came out to Clyde.” He began, stirring his coffee. His sight settled on Tweek, who listened eagerly. “First he looked shocked and surprised and he kind of just went silent for a couple of days.”

“How old…” Curiosity got the better of Tweek.

“Fourteen.” The answer came quickly and easily. “Although Clyde was still thirteen at that time, and I just turned fourteen.” He shrugged.

A low hum left Tweek’s lips before he bit down on a piece of cantaloupe. He wondered if it was hard for the other man to come out that young, especially since kids that age can be so cruel…

“Anyway.” Craig continued. “So, Clyde avoided me for days, which was pretty impressive, since we were neighbors. But then one day, he suddenly burst into my room and told me that I need to go with him.” He paused briefly and watched as Tweek munched on another piece of mango. He was happy to see the other decided to eat something this time. “He didn’t give me any explanations. It was weird. He took me to the amusement park, and bought us cotton candy, and then we took a ride on the Ferris Wheel.” He grimaced from the memory. “And while we were on it, he suddenly started to cry.” He sighed and Tweek frowned. He put down his mug and locked eyes with the blond man, slightly shaking his head. “Clyde is my best friends, since… literally since the moment he was born.”

“That sounds… nice.” A faint jealousy squeezed Tweek’s heart. _It must be nice to have such a deep and unbreakable bond with someone._

“It doesn’t, really.” Craig scoffed but his lips twitched upwards for a fraction of a second. “He was such a crybaby back then. One of my earliest memories is listening to him crying from our backyard.” He moaned, and took a sip of his coffee.

Tweek chuckled.

“So, why did he cry on the Ferris Wheel?”

“Oh, yeah… so, he was sobbing like a baby and I was just sitting next to him until I couldn’t take it anymore and asked him just what the fuck was going on.”

Tweek already finished half of the fruit salad by that time, he ate all the mangos and pushed the leftover to the middle of the table.

“And he finally began to talk.” Craig glanced at the leftover salad, and grabbed it, he lifted the fork up and picked out a melon chunk. “Clyde can be really stupid and self-absorbed sometimes.” He breathed out. “So, when I told him I was gay, he took it as a confession and thought I had a crush on him.” Craig’s face twisted even from the idea.

“You joking?”

“Nope. He totally thought I had a thing for him.”

“So that’s why he avoided you?” Tweek’s eyes widened in excitement as he leaned forward.

“Yup.”

“He spent days thinking about how he feels about me and what he should do… And came up with this brilliant idea to take me to a date and then maybe… he will like me back?” Craig scoffed and massaged his temple. “But he realized he couldn’t do it, he was too straight to requite my love, so in the middle of the Ferris’ ride he decided he can’t take it anymore and rejected me.”

The two men sat in silence eyeing each other for a moment which felt everlasting, before Tweek started shaking and biting down on his bottom lip from holding back his laughter.

“Just laugh.” Craig sighed.

After receiving the permission Tweek could not hold it back anymore. He burst into a laughter and Craig joined in soon.

The kitchen filled with the heartwarming sound and the two men’s feet gently bumped into each other under the table.

“This is hilarious, man!” Tweek chuckled.

“That was the most disturbing rejection I ever got.” Craig giggled and run his hand through his hair.

“But it still doesn’t explain why you’re going on a date today.”

Craig stopped laughing and looked down at his coffee. A hint of sadness blurred his eyes.

“Well, it’s because after we cleared things up, and I told him, he wasn’t the one I had a crush on… Which seemed to make him relieved and upset at the same time.” Craig rolled his eyes. “He decided he will help me to hook up with him…” He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. “It was a stupid idea, and that boy was clearly straight” A tiny bittersweet smile appeared on his face. “but I accepted his help.” He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. His chest felt heavy. “And obviously, we failed, but ever since, he always makes sure that we spend this day together. Honestly, I really don’t know why, but it makes him happy, I guess? Also, I once tried to cancel it, but it totally upset him, and he cried until I gave in.” He shrugged. “So, yeah… This is the awkward anniversary of the most horrible date I’ve ever had… with my heterosexual best friend.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Tweek mumbled and gazed at Craig, who lifted up to the leftover fruit salad with the intent to finish it.

“Nothing, please.” He dropped a chunk of melon into his month. “But I think we should hurry, if you want to open the shop in time.”

“Shit!” Tweek jumped up and rushed to his room, to check the time. He completely forgot about it.

***

The two of them stood in the coffee shop’s entrance downstairs. Saying goodbye felt harder, than ever before.

“Tha-thank you for coming over.” Tweek stuttered, shifting on his feet and gripping his left wrist.

Without thinking, Craig moved forward to peel Tweek’s right hand off of his wrist. When they touched, memories from yesterday came back, and both of them felt a sudden shiver running down their spines. Craig let go and Tweek took a step back.

“Anytime.” Craig said. His heart raced in his chest. He tried to look at the blond’s blue eyes, but the other man averted him.

“Well, good luck with your date!” Tweek finally glanced at him and cracked a smile, before looking away.

“It will be a disaster.” Craig bit down on his bottom lip as he watched the man in front of him.

Their eyes met once more, Craig felt his heart in his throat as he turned his back to the shop and walked away. His heart ached once he heard the shop’s little bell signing him that Tweek closed the door and he needed to step back to the harsh reality.

He rushed down the street, not even bothering to pay attention to his surroundings. He tried to collect his thoughts and calm himself down. He was not good at handling too much emotion at once, and the way Tweek acted was definitely not useful. He felt confused and uncertain.

All of a sudden, his shoulder bumped into another person, he jerked away and mumbled a grumpy apology under his breath while he continued his walk.

The young woman, who ended up being his victim stopped and turned around. She pulled her sunglasses down. Her eyes followed the passing man, shimmering with surprise and curiosity. When Craig disappeared from her sight, she put her hood up and continued the walk. A couple of steppes later, she slowed down and glanced inside the coffee shop, where a blond man was busy with preparing the coffee machine. Her eyes lingered on the barista for a bit longer and her lips curled into a playful smile.

***

“So, what are we gonna do?” Clyde asked once they jumped off the bus in the city center.

It was the middle of February. A sunny day with cold breeze, and wherever they looked, bright and disturbing signs reminded them that the upcoming day was Valentine’s Day.

Craig stopped and frowned.

“I thought it’s your job to plan this date of ours.” He mocked Clyde.

The brunette looked back at him with wide eyes.

“Why would it be my job?” He moaned and adjusted his mustard yellow beanie hat.

“Why wouldn’t?” Craig gave him an unimpressed look and they kept walking forward with no particular goal in mind. “Do I really need to remind you that this was your stupid idea?”

“Dick!”

“Asshole.”

They looked at each other. Clyde was beaming, and his warm brown eyes shone with joy. Craig only had a solid smirk on his face.

“Oh, alright!” The brunette groaned and punched the other’s shoulder gently. “But I’m not paying for your food this time!”

“But that’s what a real gentleman should do.” Craig stated, tilting his head to the side and lifted his eyebrows up. Playful judgement flickered in his eyes.

“Come on dude, I’m broke!” Clyde moaned with pleading eyes.

“Next time, don’t ask me out if you haven’t got enough money to treat me.”

“Harsh as always.” He laughed and patted Craig’s shoulder.

They continued their walk with soft smiles on their lips as they kept bumping their shoulders into each other. A habit of theirs, which they never grew out of.

“Burger?”

“Sounds good.”

***

“Why are we always end up like this?” Clyde complained as he put his beanie back on his head. He hugged himself tightly as he kept walking forward with chattering teeth and shaking body.

“Because you thought that the bar is a karaoke club.” Craig said and shot a dirty look at his best friend. He pulled his blue chullo hat lower on his head. He was drunk, but not drunk enough to keep him warm in this cold night.

“But I love that song!” The brunette moaned and tried to twist to the side, so he could look at his friend, but he tried to do it too quickly and his intoxicated body could not keep up with it. He stumbled over his own foot and lost his balance, but before he fell on his own face, Craig grabbed his arm and brought him back to his feet. They stopped and the black-haired man looked at him with judging eyes.

“ _I want it that way?”_ Craig scoffed. “Really, Clyde, really?” He let go of the athlete and kept walking forward on the empty street.

“It’s a good one! And you don’t have the right to judge me, you joined in as well!” Clyde yelled and clumsily rushed after him.

“No, I did not.”

“Yes, you did! I can recognize your raspy voice anywhere!” The brunette mocked him and let out a short laugh.

“Shut up, Clyde!” Craig grunted and picked up his pace, but he could not outrun his friend, who clung to his side like a puppy to their owner. “It’s still your fault that we got kicked out. You shouldn’t jump on a table and start singing like an idiot.”

“No, it wasn’t my fault! You threw your beer over that poor bartender girl and it totally got spilled over her!”

“It was an accident, but she deserved it.” Craig mumbled. His breath was visible in the cold. He felt a little bit bad about the incident, but still, that girl was annoying as hell.

“Dude, she just wanted to give you her number!”

Craig shrugged and turned left. Clyde followed him closely.

“Doesn’t matter because you were the one who broke that fucking glass.”

“But it was for the dramatic effect!” Clyde pointed his index finger at Craig and cracked a smile. He was definitely proud of his performance.

“Next time, try to break something less valuable… like your head.”

“Hey!” Clyde yelled and gazed at the other offendedly.

Craig let out an annoyed sigh, he knew that if they had still been kids, Clyde would have been crying… He stepped closer to his drunk best friend and bumped his shoulder into the other’s, looking at the brunette with apologetic eyes. Luckily, that was enough for Clyde to forgive him. He beamed at the noirette and crossed his arm around Craig’s shoulder. They walked like this for some time, then separated, but stayed close to each other.

“Don’t even try to disagree Tucker, we still got it! I mean it was a good performance!”

“Yeah, it was.” Craig smiled softly and looked up.

Sadly, the light pollution made it nearly impossible to see the stars in the sky. The skinny moon tried its best to brighten up the darkness. A slight ache sunk into his heart. He suddenly felt homesick. He moved a little bit closer to his best friend and brushed his shoulder against him.

“I miss the night sky view in South Park.” Craig’s voice was quiet and low, with nostalgy echoing in it.

Clyde glanced up as well. Only a handful of stars shone above them.

“I thought you hated it there.”

“I don’t know.” Craig breathed out. “I kind of do, and yet… it has its own beauty.”

“I guess you’re right.” Clyde looked at the other. A grim bloomed on his face, and excitement sparkled in his eyes. “I can’t wait to go home for the summer break! It will be a blast!”

Craig gave a quick nod as a response, even though he had his concerns about it. He may had missed his home a little, but he definitely did not miss seeing Eric Cartman’s ugly face every damn day. Then, he remembered Tweek’s smiling face. Summer was still months away, but the thought of not being able to see the blond man for weeks made his stomach lurched painfully. _Maybe he could invite him over for a visit_ … He suddenly stopped, the image of watching the stars with Tweek from the roof of his family’s home crossed his mind. His heart pounded heavily in his chest and his cheeks warmed up.

“Dude, you ok?” Clyde’s voice disturbed his daydreaming.

“Yeah… Just… I just got dizzy.” He mumbled and heard Clyde chuckling while he walked back to him.

“Didn’t realize you drank that much.”

“Neither did I.” Craig sighed. “Should we call it a day?”

Clyde took out his phone from his jacket and checked the time.

“Sure.” He replied. “Do you want me to walk you home?” A mischievous smile appeared on his lips.

“Yes, please, and hold my hand.” Craig looked at him with a smug face and hold his hand out to his friend.

They eyed each other until Clyde gave up and began giggling. He raised his fist in front of his body. Craig glanced at him, then reached out, and they lightly bumped their fists together.

“Hey!” Clyde lifted his head up and gazed deeply into Craig’s eyes.

“Hm?”

“You know, a piece of my heart always belongs to you.” He sounded serious, but his eyes flickered playfully.

“That’s disgusting and very gay.” Craig looked back at him with his usual deadpan face.

They both burst into a breathless laugh again, before the brunette pulled the other man into a bear-hug. Craig just stood there with his hands next to his side, while Clyde squeezed the life out of him. He could hear his bones cracking under the pressure. He slowly lifted his arms up and returned the hug briefly. A bittersweet emotion filled him.

Craig released himself from the embrace and took a step back.

“Well then, see you later buddy!” Clyde said. The other man nodded back at him, and with that, the brunette turned around and began walking away.

Craig was ready to leave as well, but before he had a chance, Clyde unexpectedly stopped and looked back at him.

“I love you, Craig Tucker!” He shouted, shaping a heart with his hands and laughing full heartedly as he continued his walk.

An old woman passed by him, looking at the brunette with disgust and surprise.

Craig chuckled and flipped his idiot best friend off. When he could not see Clyde anymore, he looked up at the sad, dark sky with a pang in his heart. Another year had passed with only receiving love confessions from Clyde.

***

Bebe looked up from her laptop when she heard the doorbell ringing. She pushed her chair back and jumped up, running towards the entrance. Once she opened the door, a tired and drunk Clyde welcomed her from the other side.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in a love hotel with your beloved boyfriend?” She asked with a smug face as she leaned against the door’s frame.

“It’s past midnight so we broke up.” Clyde bit back a smile and sneaked his arms around the girl’s waist, pulling her to his chest.

She leaned closer and closed the gap between them. It was a slow, tender kiss. She melted into the hug, crossing her arms around the man’s neck and pulling him into a deeper kiss.

Clyde’s hands swiftly moved down from her waist to under her bum, he squeezed her for a second before he lifted her up. Bebe crossed her legs around her boyfriend’s waist and smiled while kissing.

He stepped away from the door and kicked it back to its place, then walked to the couch. Once he got there he leaned forward and let her plop down on it.

When they parted away, Bebe’s emerald green orbs shimmered with desire as their eyes were locked on each other.

“Do you want to take a shower and order a pizza?” She purred and took off the hat from Clyde’s head.

“What about your diet?” Clyde frowned, but hope rang in his voice.

“Fuck diet!” She groaned and took the jacket off of her lover. “I’m starving!”

“Finally!” Clyde broke into a smile. “I really started to get bored with plain chicken and salad.” He rolled his eyes and Bebe elbowed him. “Sorry.” He mumbled as he moved away from the girl, to take his shirt off.

“Apology accepted.” She said with a lustful smirk as she sat up and pressed light, quick kisses on the man’s naked abdomen. She could feel the tight muscles under his skin. Clyde let out a soft moan before he lifted his most precious treasure up from the coach.

“Let’s continue this in the shower.” He whispered into Bebe’s ear and the girl happily giggled between his arms as they walked inside the bathroom.

***

“Bee?” Clyde looked at the beautiful blonde girl who hungrily munched on a slice of pepperoni and jalapeno pizza next to him in the bed. She lifted her sight up and glanced at the man. “Do you think Craig is… happy?” He was quiet and his voice filled with worry and sadness.

She put her slice of greasy Italian miracle back to its box and gazed deeply into her boyfriend’s eyes.

“Why do you think he isn’t?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head slowly. “I know he fucks around sometimes, but… he never really had a proper relationship before, at least not one that I’m aware of.” He sighed and pushed his head back to the headboard.

“Just because he’s not in a relationship it doesn’t mean he’s unhappy.” She replied calmly, nuzzling into Clyde’s shoulder.

“I know.” He moaned and put his head on the top of Bebe’s. Her blond curls tickled his chin and neck. “But sometimes, when he thinks that nobody is watching him… he looks so… lonely.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much.” She pushed herself up and glanced at Clyde. Her eyes were filled with love, pride and admiration. “I have a feeling he won’t stay alone for too long.” She said and gave a mysterious smile to her boyfriend as she remembered the shy, handsome blond barista and Craig’s lecherous eyes watching his every move.

She turned her eyes back at her half-eaten pizza slice, took it out of the box and continued eating it.

“Really?” Clyde’s eyes brightened up.

“Really.” She looked up for a moment and nodded before she took another bite.

A huge smile cracked on Clyde’s face as happiness filled his heart. Once his sight settled on his girlfriend, he began to chuckle.

“You’ve got some grease on your lips.” He smirked. “Let me get rid of it.” He whispered as he leaned closer and carefully licked it down, before kissing her.

“Stop!” Bebe snickered and gently pushed him away. “At least let me finish this slice.”

Clyde’s heart was pounding loudly and warmth spread through his chest as he watched the beautiful blonde girl, _his beautiful blonde girl_ , giggling next to him. **_God, he loved her so much!_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry guys, I love Clyde so much and I can't help it.


	10. Achy breaky heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I just turned 27 today and had double chocolate chip cookies for lunch!  
> And here's my birthday present for you, enjoy it!

“I hate you so much Bebe Stevens.” Craig groaned as the two of them kept walking down the street.

He knew he should not have asked any favor from Bebe, because it always costed him more than what it was actually worth. However, he still asked for her help, because Tweek called him and needed him. It was a week ago, and until now, he did not regrate his decision, it even looked like Bebe would go easy on him this time, but no… She was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to come.

“Come on, Craig, it’s not that bad!” She giggled and glanced at her annoyed friend. Craig gave her a dirty look in return. “Clyde comes sometimes too.”

“Yeah, and he’s eye-fucking you in those yoga pants.”

Bebe snickered and stopped in front of a building.

“It will be fun!” She gave Craig an encouraging smile before opening the door.

Craig’s jaw tightened and his eyes darted to the neon yellow yoga studio sign. He cursed Bebe one more time before he followed her.

When he walked into the locker room there were already three other men inside. They were chatting blithely when he disturbed them, and all of them looked up to welcomed him. He nodded back and shuffled to the farthermost locker, away from the three men. As he began to undress, he felt eyes on himself, he turned away even more, showing his back to the others. He hated locker rooms, too many naked men.

“Hello everyone!” A woman, who was most likely the instructor walked into the studio with a cheerful smile. The quiet chatting, which filled the room until that moment, suddenly stopped, and everybody watched as the yoga teacher walked to the front. “Is anybody new here?” She asked as her eyes scanned through the room. Her sight settled on Craig. “Never tried yoga before?”

Craig looked directly at her with piercing eyes but did not say anything. They gazed at each other for a moment longer, before the woman gave up and turned her attention back to the class.

She sat down on her mattress and deeply breathed in.

“Alright, so we’re gonna start in this seated position, and again, if you need to elevate the hips slightly which will be a little less intense for your hip creases, go ahead and do that now…”

Craig glanced at Bebe, who sat right next to him, and focused all of her attention to the instructor. He puffed out a tired scoff as he tried to get into the requested position. The muscles in his inner thighs felt like they were going to tear any moment. He looked up at the clock on the wall, there was still fifty-six minutes of this torture left.

“And now, we are going into the downward dog position.” The woman exhaled calmly and pushed herself up.

They were only thirty minutes into the class and Craig was already very annoyed, tired and embarrassed of his lack of flexibility. Even a blind man could tell that he had absolutely no experience in yoga and he was stiff as a board. He lifted his hips up and tried to imitate what everybody else did. The moment he somewhat managed to get into the position, he felt his shirt rolling down on his back and falling on his head. He groaned frustratedly and a second later he heard as Bebe tried to fought back her laughter. He quickly moved to try to get into a more comfortable position, so he could pull back his shirt, but his moves were too eager and reckless and he lost his balance, and ended up falling to his side. Bebe could not take it anymore and began chuckling quietly. Luckily, it was dark in the classroom, so nobody could see just how red Craig’s face was while he aggressively tucked his top into his sweatpants. He mouthed a silent _‘Shut the fuck up!’_ to the blonde girl before turning his head away. He ignored her for the rest of the class.

“Namaste.” The instructor finally breathed out the last word of the class as silence fell on the room.

Craig wiggled his toes; it was cold without a shoe. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned as he began to prepare his body to stand up. It was one of the most painful and humiliating hours of his life, although he did feel more relaxed by the end of it, but he will never admit it to anyone.

“So, did you enjoy it?” Came the question from Bebe, a smug, vain smile curled her lips.

“I hate you.” Craig said, shooting daggers at her.

She chuckled with pleasure and rolled her yoga mattress up.

“You can’t tell this to anyone, or…” Craig grumbled.

“Craig, it’s not very nice of you to threaten a girl.” She shook her head and walked out of the studio. “But don’t worry, I won’t say a word.” She glanced at him with a smile on her face and shuffled towards the women’s locker room. “See you in a bit!”

Craig sighed and stepped inside the men’s changing room. He had a feeling Bebe would eventually break her promise, but even if she tells everyone, at least no one else saw his ridiculous performance in the class.

“Hey Barbara!” Bebe welcomed the studio’s manager and pulled her into a quick hug. The woman was only a couple of years older than her and she was one of the most popular yoga instructors in the city.

“Bebe! Long time no see you! How have you been?”

“Oh, I’m doing fine, thank you.” She smiled at the dirty-blonde-haired woman. “How about you?”

“Can’t really complain. Business is doing pretty well.” She replied before she gave a curious look to Bebe. “If you don’t mind me asking, who’s the handsome new guy with you? Did you and Clyde break up?”

“No!” Bebe giggled. “He’s Craig. Clyde’s best friend.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear.” Barbara sighed in relief and her brown eyes flickered with desire.

“He’s pretty hot, isn’t he?” Bebe snickered. Her eyes focused on the other woman’s every reaction.

“Ye-yeah, he’s really good looking.” Barbara breathed out and pushed some hair behind her ear. “His girlfriend must be lucky.”

Bebe let out a breathless laugh.

“Currently the only woman in his life is his pet guinea pig.”

“Oh, really?” Barbara bit back an excited smile. “So why did he come with you today? He’s interested about yoga too?”

“I wish!” Bebe chuckled. “But the thing is he only came today, well… because…” She looked away and quickly checked if she could see Craig anywhere else, but luckily, he was still in the locker room. “That’s a bit embarrassing…” She whispered and Barbara leaned closer to her.

“What?” She asked and Bebe gazed at her.

“Okay, so Clyde and Craig had a bet a couple of weeks ago, and well… poor Craig lost, and his punishment was to come to a yoga class with us. But Clyde could not make it.” She sighed and shook her head sadly. “And I need to prove to him somehow that Craig really did take part of the class, otherwise…” She bit down on her bottom lip and looked at the other woman with pleading eyes.

“What are you trying to ask Bebe?” Barbara frowned and Bebe took one more step closer to her, and began to whisper.

“I know it’s a huge thing to ask, but I don’t think Clyde would believe us otherwise, so… could you please email me the CCTV’s footage of the class?” Bebe begged and her eyes shimmered with hope. “I promise it will stay between us, I just need to show it to Clyde and then I will delete it, I promise!”

The manager swallowed hard and looked at her uncomfortably.

“Bebe, I can’t…”

“I can get you a date with him.” She smiled innocently, but her inside was burning with excitement.

“Wha… Really?” Barbara asked with wide eyes and her cheeks turned slightly red.

“Yeah, really! Although, Craig is quite shy, and has trouble talking to strangers, that’s why he hardly goes on dates…” She mumbled with a thoughtful face. “But we could go on a double date, if that would work for you!” Her face brightened up, like she just came out with this brilliant idea.

“Do-do you think it would work?” Barbara asked, excitement and doubt mixed in her voice. “I don’t even know if I am his type.” She slowly shifting on her feet.

“Well I’m not gonna lie” Bebe began and grabbed the other woman’s hand. “He acts cold sometimes, and he has special taste, but…I know for a fact that he loves blondes.” She beamed at Barbara and lifted up some strands of the other woman’s dirty blonde hair. “And you’re a super sweet and pretty girl, so if anyone, you have a real chance to win over Mr. Charming’s heart.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah, absolutely!” Bebe nodded happily. “Although, I can’t guarantee anything, but it is worth a try.” She smiled at the other woman promisingly.

“Alright.” Barbara chuckled. “I will send you the footage.”

“Thank you so much, Barbara! You are the best!” Bebe overjoyed as she hugged Barbara tightly. A mischievous smile cracked on her face when she caught a glance of Craig, who just came out of the locker room. “He’s coming. Let me introduce you to him.” She whispered into the other’s ear.

“Hey, took you long enough.” Bebe welcomed the raven-haired man when he finally stopped in front of her, with an unimpressed face.

“You, haven’t even changed.” He mumbled and glanced at the stranger.

“Craig, she’s Barbara.” She said and Craig looked down at the woman.

“H-hi.” Barbara stuttered with red cheeks.

“She is a good friend of mine.” Bebe butted in and grabbed the other woman’s arm and pulled it to her chest as she leaned closer to Barbara.

“Hi.” He mumbled and glanced at Bebe. He was way too tired for the small talk. “Should we go? I have a class I’m planning to attend.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right!” She gasped and let go of Barbara’s arm as she stepped away from her. “It was so nice to see Barbara! Have a great day!” She smiled and turned around to leave the building.

Craig glanced at the manager woman and gave her a quick nod before he shuffled after his friend.

“Bye!” Barbara waved to them. Her eyes were filled with gratefulness as she watched Bebe disappearing. She felt like Bebe was the most supporting friend she could ever wish for, and that she would have a date with one of the most handsome men she had ever met! Little did she know that she just walked into one of Bebe’s intricate traps.

“So, Craig.” Bebe began as they walked down the street. “Do you remember, that new bar that opened a couple of weeks ago.”

“The one with the dragon in its name?”

“Uh-hum. That one. Would you like to go and check it out with us sometime?” She asked and slowed down a bit as they got closer to the building where she lived.

“Sure.” He nodded and began searching for his headphone in his bag.

“Cool.” She opened the main entrance door and slipped inside but looked back at Craig with a sly smile. “You should invite that cute blondie from the coffee shop.”

Craig’s hand froze with the headphone halfway out of his bag. He gazed at Bebe with disbelief.

“Come on Tucker, man up and finally ask him out.” She said with a grim and closed the door. “Even Cartman can do that much!” She shouted out her last sentence from behind the safety of the closed door and quickly walked away, before Craig could come after her.

The warmth of anger and humiliation tinted his entire face red, even his ears felt warm as he stood there looking at the place where the blonde girl was just a few seconds ago. His grip was so tight on his headphone that his knuckles turned white and his heart was loudly hammering inside his chest. He stayed there, frozen like a statue until his phone went off, and the reminder alarmed him that he only had half an hour left until his next lecture. He shook his head and put his headphone on as he continued his walk towards the university. He unlocked his phone to open up his Spotify, but then his heart skipped a beat as he saw that Tweek finally replied to his earlier message. His lips curled up a bit as he read the message and began to type his answer. After he sent it, he kept glaring at his phone while Bebe’s voice echoed inside his mind. He sucked his lips in and began to type. His hands were sweaty, and he had butterflies in his stomach.

After five minutes of typing and deleting and rewriting and rethinking and changing his mind again and again, he finally sent the message. Which was a simple: _‘There’s a cool looking new bar close to my place, wanna check it out tonight?’_

Forty-three minutes later, when Craig was already at the lecture, Tweek replied. He said he could not do it tonight, because he already had plans with the girls from the shop.

Craig felt extremely disappointed, sad and angry once he realized that the girls means Annie as well… The image of the brunette girl leaning closer to Tweek to steal a kiss from the blond man entered his mind. He accidentally ripped the paper he was writing his notes on out of the notebook. A couple of students looked at him thanks to the sudden noise. He dropped his phone inside his bag and pulled his chullo lower on his head, covering his eyes as he bashed his head into the desk. He could not focus on his lecture anymore.

***

“Drink up, pretty boy!” Natasha plopped down next to Tweek and handed over a pint of beer to him. “And this one is for you, cutie.” She continued and leaned over him, to give a shot of tequila to Annie, who was sitting on Tweek’s other side.

“Thanks Nat!” Annie smiled as she accepted the drink. The two women looked at each other with drunk eyes. “Cheers!” They said at once and drank up.

Today was their yearly team building and get together with the ex-colleges party. Even Ellie, and Lucas joined them. When Tweek first started at the coffee shop, Lucas and Annie already worked there. Lucas was half-Italian, always smiling and full of energy. The customers loved him. His girlfriend at the time was Hannah, who he met in a party, and that’s how the pretty ginger girl ended up working with them. They were together for nearly two years and broke up on good terms. They never really told anyone why they separated, but it was obvious they still liked each other and stayed friends ever since. Ellie was a part-timer, who helped out in the shop last year. She was very shy and quiet, but hard-working. Tweek liked her, even though they hardly ever spoke to one another.

The six of them occupied a huge table in one of the corners, and everybody was in high spirit. Tweek sat there, stuck between the two girls, looking at his beer anxiously. The bar was too busy and crowded for him, and he just wanted to go home and hide under his blanket. He still felt bad about declining Craig’s offer, but being the shop’s manager Tweek did not have a choice. Even though he would have much preferred the black-haired man’s company. It’s not that he did not like his co-workers, they were always nice to him, and cared about him. However, he could not open up to them. Maybe it was because of the responsibilities he felt, being their manager, or just his own untrusty personality, but he could never really be himself. But, Craig… He was something irresistibly different. Tweek could not figure out why only Craig Tucker of all people was capable of opening the locked door on his heart. Whatever the reason was, Tweek was happy and grateful for the black-haired man.

“Hey, Tweek, are you even listening?” Came the question from Tweek’s left side, and the blond man quickly turned his head towards the girl.

“Oh, I’m sorry Annie! I was just lost in thought.” He mumbled and drank a bit from his beer.

The girl broke a smile and slightly twisted in her chair, so she could face the blond man. Tweek followed her movement and turned to the side and gazed and the beautiful tipsy girl. Her eyes were shimmering with joy and her cheeks were slightly red.

“What were you thinking?” She asked and her soft brown hair fall into her face as she leaned a bit closer. She showed more cleavage than she usually did and her breasts looked soft and tempting.

Tweek swallowed and looked away, pulling his jumper’s sleeves over his hands.

“Uhm, I don’t know.” He mumbled and gazed at his drink. “Nothing particular, really.” As he continued, he remembered Craig again. He glanced down at his phone, but he had zero new messages since the afternoon. He wondered what Craig ended up doing that night.

“You look tired today.” She noted and gently put her hands on Tweek’s left wrist. The sudden touch startled him and he wanted to jerk away. However, he did not want to be rude or attract anyone’s attention to himself, so he let her hands stay.

“Am I?” He asked and tried to ignore the wakening pain in his wrist.

“A bit, yes.” Annie smiled at him and brushed her hair behind her ears, but one of her hand still stayed on Tweek.

Her eyes were filled with kindness and care. The look on her face made Tweek’s heart swell and he smiled back at her. She was so gorgeous and kindhearted.

“But I think you look happier nowadays. Did something good happen?” She sounded curios as she bit down on her bottom lip.

The question surprised Tweek and for a second, he had no idea how to respond. _Did he look sad all the time? Maybe, he was really just sad and did not realize it? Anyway, being sad is still better than losing his mind using drugs._ His heart ached for a second as he thought about his childhood. Then he remembered the night when he confessed about his past addiction and suicide attempt to Craig. The memories he shared with the other man flooded his mind and he felt his heart racing in his chest _. Maybe he did get happier without even realizing it_ …

“I don’t know. I can’t really think of anything special.” He shrugged with a soft smile, thinking about Craig. He did not enjoy lying though, but he could not tell the girls about him. It would bring up questions he did not want to think about or had no answer to just yet.

Annie smiled at him, and without giving any warning, she leaned closer and hugged him.

A shiver run down on Tweek’s spine as he felt the girl’s soft, fragile body pressed against him. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck and her fingers slipped into his hair.

“Well, I’m just glad you’re feeling better now.” She confessed with honesty and kept hugging the man.

Tweek blushed and carefully crossed his arms around the girl’s tiny waist. She meant so much to him. Calmness, safety, kindness and selfless love… Those feeling he had never experienced before meeting her. She was the comfort of his life and he loved her for this deeply.

“Hey, don’t leave me out!” Hannah shouted and stood in front of the embraced duo, then she leaned forward and reached her arms around both of them. Her chest was dangerously close to Tweek’s face.

“We’re having a group hug and you didn’t even invite me?” Asked Natasha as she turned to her left side to see Annie’s face looking at her from the comfort of Tweek’s shoulder. She beamed at the giggling brunette girl and gave her a peck on her forehead while she sneaked her arms around the blond man’s abdomen from behind.

Tweek started to feel verry uncomfortable and he began to struggle with breathing under the weight of the three girls’ body.

Luckily, after a couple of more seconds, the girls finally let go of him. Except Natasha who kept her arms around him just a little bit longer as she leaned closer and whispered into his ear.

“You’re doing great tonight.” She said and let him go.

A small, grateful smile appeared on Tweek’s lips.

Natasha, being the only one who could easily read his every move and knew at least some extent of his past, knew how hard it was for him to come to social events like this one and to not let his anxiety ruin his night completely. The last couple of times they hung out like this, Tweek was always the first one to leave. Usually an hour after they arrived to the place. But this day, he had been sitting in the bar for over three hours without having an anxiety attack. For once, he was actually proud of himself. He could not wait to tell Craig about this. He glanced at his phone again, which rested on the table. He had a notification. His eyes lit up and he grabbed his phone before standing up.

“Tweek?” Annie looked at him with surprise.

“I-I’m just going to the bathroom.” He said quickly. “I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, okay.” Annie frowned in confusion.

He rushed to the bathroom and jumped in the nearest unoccupied stall. He unlocked his phone to finally see what Craig sent to him. However, unfortunately, it wasn’t a message from Craig, but from his Uncle, who just asked him how the team building was going. Disappointment oozed into his heart. He leaned against the dirty cold door and closed his eyes. He felt stupid. He wanted to message Craig, talking with him always made him feel better. However, he still felt guilty for not going with him. Honestly, he really wanted to go with him, as much as he wanted to message him, but neither of them happened that night...

He pushed his phone back to his back pocket and left the stall to wash his hands before walking back to his group, where he belonged that night.

***

“I think, I’m done for tonight.” Tweek announced as he checked the time on his phone. He spent more than four hours in a bar with his co-worker. “I’m getting really tired.”

“Are you gonna be fine on your own?” Annie asked and gently pulled the sleeve of Tweek’s jumper. She always got very touchy when she was drunk. Her eyes shimmered with worry as he nibbled at her lips.

“Sure. I will be fine.” Tweek smiled reassuringly and petted the brunette girl’s head. He was drunk too.

“C’mon Annie, don’t look at him like that!” Natasha cut in and crossed her arm around Tweek’s shoulder. “Don’t you remember, that this pretty boy can kick some ass?” She giggled.

“Oh, that’s right! I completely forgot that you do boxing!” Annie gasped and let go of the blond man. “You’re so awesome Tweek.”

Tweek flushed from the compliment and began to collect his stuff from the table.

“Wait for me pretty boy!” Natasha called after him and grabbed her coat. “I’m gonna step out for a cigarette too.”

The blond man nodded as a response before he walked around the table to say his good-byes to everyone.

“Have a safe trip home!” Annie gave him a quick hug again before she locked eyes with him. “See you tomorrow Tweek.” She smiled, and the man smiled back at her.

“Yes, see you tomorrow. Take care!” He moved away from the brunette girl and stepped out to the cold street.

Natasha was already outside, leaning against the wall, close to the entrance.

“I nearly began to worry that you will never make it out alive.” She cracked a smile and handed a cigarette and a lighter over to her boss.

“Thanks.” Tweek accepted them and stood next to her. The taste of the smoke on his tongue calmed him immediately.

“Did you have a good time tonight?” She mumbled the question with the cigarette in her mouth.

“I…I think I did.”

“You think?”

“I did enjoy myself tonight.” He smiled and deeply inhaled the smoke.

“Good.” Natasha hummed and bended over Tweek to give him a peck on his cheek. “I care about you… a lot.” She said as she leaned back to the wall, keeping her eyes on the startled man.

“Thank you, Natasha.” His voice was filled with sincerity.

“Anytime.” She smirked and blew some smoke into the other’s face. “If I wasn’t lesbian…” She sighed theatrically.

Tweek broke a smile and stubbed his cigarette.

“I’m going now.” He said and stepped away from the building, but took one more look at Natasha before he walked away. “See you on Monday!”

Natasha waved at him and watched as he disappeared in the crowd.

“Best of luck pretty boy.” She whispered into the cold night.

“Hi, sorry to bother you. Can I get a light?”

Natasha glanced up and saw a petite girl standing close to her. She had blonde hair with the ends turning into a pastel pink color. She took her lighter out of her pocket and light it up. The blonde girl put her own cigarette into her mouth and leaned toward the flame. As she got closer Natasha saw that she has a septum piercing in her nose and a lotus tattoo on her right hand too.

“Thanks.” She said as she straightened up again. “That guy, who just left.... Is he your boyfriend?” She asked and nodded to Tweek’s direction.

“Nope.” Natasha blew out some smoke with a smile on her lips. “He’s just a friend.”

The girl hummed quietly and took a shot of her cigarette, and as she exhaled the smoke had a hint of weed in it. A shiver run through her body and she pulled her leather jacket’s zipper up.

“It’s pretty cold tonight.” Natasha said and glanced at the petite blonde girl.

“It sure is.” She sighed and took another puff. “Especially if you’re alone.” She exhaled and took a step closer to Natasha. Their shoulders brushed against each other and a girl stood there with a tiny grin on her face.

Natasha beamed at her with mischievous eyes.

“Are you flirting with me cutie pie?”

“Would you mind if I did?” She asked and lifted her cigarette to her mouth, watching the drunk people passing by on the street.

“No, not at all. Knock yourself out.”

The girl chuckled from the answer and turned to the other.

“I’m Olivia, by the way.”

“Natasha.” She said with a half-smile as she gazed into the blonde girl’s big brown eyes. In the dark, they looked nearly black.

“Natasha...” She quietly repeated the name, like she was trying to figure out how she feels about it. “I like your name.” She decided and cracked a smile.

Natasha leaned closer and whispered into Olivia’s ear.

“And I like hearing it from your lips.”

Their eyes locked on each other, both of them were filled with lust and desire.

***

“Guys, I think we lost Nat too.” Hannah said bitterly as she peeked out of the window.

“Really?” Moaned Lucas disappointedly. He liked the Russian girl, she was a lot of fun to have around.

“Yep. She got distracted by a pretty blonde.” Hannah pointed outside.

“How pretty is she?”

“Really pretty.” She paused for a moment, eagerly watching the happenings outside. “And now, they’re kissing.”

“Let me see!” Lucas jumped up from the table and rushed to the window.

“Do you think she’s going to come back?” Asked Annie with curious eyes, when Hannah plopped down the chair next to her.

“Nuh-uh.” She shook her head. “She took her bag when she popped out for a puff with Tweek. I’m sure she will just message me later to let us know that she’s not coming back.” She sighed and dropped her head on the brunette’s shoulder.

“There-there.” Annie hummed and petted the other girl’s head. Losing Natasha meant that it was her duty to take care of Hannah.

***

As Tweek walked down the busy street full of drunk people, his anxiety began to rise again. He wanted to get home as quickly as possible, get into his bed and asleep. Maybe message Craig and ask if he would like to hang out tomorrow night or the day after.

In the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of a familiar blue and yellow hat. He froze mid-step and looked over to the other side of the street.

A man stood in one of the small, dark alleys. He could not see his face, only his back, but that man was without a doubt Craig Tucker. His unmistakable chullo hat gave him off. His heartbeat sped up and he could not control the smile starting to bloom on his lips. His eyes locked on the other man as he began to walk towards him. He was so happy to see him, but then Craig did a quarter turn and something unexpected revealed from the darkness. Another man.

Craig was deeply engaged in a conversation with a short, light-brown haired guy, who Tweek had never seen before. He was not one of the raven-haired man’s friends. He stopped and watched the two men with wide eyes. His stomach twisted and the happy smile faded from his lips.

Craig shook his head and they stood there still for a second, before the brunette man stepped closer to him crossed his arms around Craig’s neck, who did not push him away.

Tweek’s heart skipped a beat.

Craig said something to the stranger, their faces were dangerously close.

Tweek wanted to look away, but he could not.

The brunette man began to fondle Craig’s cheek. Their bodies pressed against each other.

Tweek wanted Craig to push the other man away, but instead he placed his hands on the brunette’s waist and smiled.

This scene made Tweek’s heart throb painfully. He could not watch it anymore. He closed his eyes and turned around. At first, he just walked really quickly, then began to jog and before he even realized he was already running down the street towards the safety of his home.

***

It was three in the morning, and Tweek was really stoned. He lied on his bed and thought about Craig… and the other man. Craig never mentioned that he had anyone special in his life. Not even a love interest or a crush. And Tweek wanted to believe that if the other had such an important person in his life, he would tell him. _Since Craig has already told him so much about himself, surly he would not keep a secret like this from him…_

Tweek began biting his nails. He thought about the way the brown-haired man clung to Craig, and his stomach twisted. He remembered the night Craig pulled him into his arms and hold him tightly while he cried. He patted his back gently and let Tweek nuzzle into his chest.

A shiver run down his spine.

Then he thought about how the brunette guy touched Craig’s face, and he got angry. He quickly reminded himself the way Craig held his hand, and the way he fondled his wrist. His touch was enough to cease the pain.

Tweek smiled from the memory.

But then again, he thought about the way Craig’s hands ended up on the other man’s waists and his heart sunk.

He remembered the first time Craig slept over his place. The memory of the next morning filled his mind. The way Craig pulled him closer to himself. The weight of his arm as he draped it around his stomach. Feeling Craig’s breath on his neck…

Suddenly, he got very aware of his own body. Warmth spread through his abdomen, his boxer felt tight and he realized he had an erection. His body was too excited and too eager to let him think clearly. He let out a shaky breath while he tugged his underwear down enough so his fingers could wrap around his cock. He sighed softly as he began to move his hand, chest rising and falling a little heavier with every passing seconds. His mind kept racing, remembering every touch and gaze he shared with Craig while his hand kept working. He thought about the topless Craig he saw the first morning they spent together. Just realizing how hot he looked. He moaned as he imaged the other being completely naked and though about what else would have happened between the two of them. He wanted to hear Craig’s deep voice as he groaned and said his name lustfully, that was enough for Tweek to come.

“Fuck” He groaned once he was able to think clearly again. He was high, tired and covered in his own cum. All the feelings and thoughts he so neatly sealed away suddenly flooded his heart. He could not deny it anymore, he fell for Craig Tucker… And this thought scared him.


	11. Every breath you take

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Million thanks to **thelotusflower** and **ambercreek95** for their undying support and love. Without them I would most likely still be sitting on this chapter. Btw, they are both super talented and amazing writers, so go and check out their fics if you haven't done it yet!

“Fuck!” Craig groaned and closed his notebook. He had been working on his homework for two hours and only managed to write one sentence, drink two cans of beer and break a nail. His day was a complete disaster since Tweek rejected him. Actually, his day was cursed since the moment he met up with Bebe. He thought about the girl and got angry again. Everything was her stupid fault! Encouraging him to ask Tweek out was a stupid idea! He should have just ignored her and done things his way.

It was already ten in the evening and Craig had still not replied to the message the blond man sent him during his lecture. He tried. God, he really tried to write him, but he just got frustrated and bitter every time he saw that message. He knew, he should not have felt that way, it was so stupid. It was really not Tweek’s fault that he was not available that night, and honestly, Craig totally got it, as a manager he needed to be there… But still, every time he grabbed his phone to finally text him back, he remembered Annie and jealousy fogged his mind.

Craig Tucker could not help but feel sorry for himself. It was so pathetic…

He sighed and pushed his seat back so he could stand up. One more beer would not hurt…

When he returned to his room, he grabbed his phone and opened their conversation for the umpteenth time that day. Maybe this time he would actually reply to Tweek.

Hi did not.

The moment he read the blond man’s last message, his heart sunk and he let the self-pity consume him again. He just could not stand the idea of Tweek getting drunk with Annie. What if Tweek had drunk himself fearless and confessed to the girl? She would have been the world’s biggest idiot if she had rejected him. He needed some distraction before he got too deep into the spiral of his thoughts and made his miserable life even worse.

He took a sip of the beer and opened his Facebook page. Luckily, Tweek did not have Facebook, he said social media scared him. Unsurprisingly, he had seven new messages from Clyde. He was sure that there would be at least one funny dog video in there. He opened the messages and rolled his eyes. There were three dog videos, and they were actually funny. Craig felt a little bit better after watching them. He replied to Clyde, then checked the other notifications he got in the last couple of hours. One of them caught his attention, and he raised an eyebrow.

Michael liked one of his old profile pictures.

He took another sip and clicked on the brunette’s profile. He scrolled through the last couple of posts he made before he looked at his pictures. Unlike Craig, who kept his Facebook very simple, Michael had a ton of pictures of himself. He was a good-looking guy. Not as handsome as Tweek, though.

He stopped when he saw a picture of Michael standing in a short swim truck. Craig licked his bottom lip. He did not have sex for God knows how long. The last couple of weeks, the only thing he did was jerking off about Tweek. He quickly shooed away the thought of the blond man and forced his attention back on the picture of Michael. Maybe getting laid would actually help him forget about Tweek for a moment. He opened his conversation with Michael and began to type. A weird pang of guilt built up in his troth as he sent the message out, but he swallowed it down. _It’s not like he was cheating on Tweek or anything_ ….

***

Craig passed Michael’s favorite bar and walked into the alley where the brunette usually made his trades. This time, Michael was chatting with a boy when he arrived. The underage-looking stranger, glanced at Craig, then reached out to the brunette to quickly shake his hand before rushing out of the alley.

“Honestly Craig, you are a horrible person.” Michael scoffed when his eyes locked on the approaching raven-haired man. He stashed his recently earned money into his coat’s pocket and leaned against the cold wall.

“Said the man who just sold drug to a kid.” Craig pointed it out. Even though he kept a blank face, he actually disapproved the other’s illegal business. Especially since Tweek told him about his past.

“He turned eighteen last week.” Michael shrugged.

Craig snorted as stepped closer to the brunette.

A sly smile bloomed on Michael face.

“By the way, to what do I owe the pleasure of you suddenly reaching out to me?” Asked the brown-haired man.

This time, it was Craig’s turn to shrug.

“I haven't heard from you in ages, and I began to worry that you may have found someone.” Michael sighed keeping his eyes on the other.

Craig’s heart ached as he thought about Tweek again.

“I did not.” He lied and shook his head. There was no way he would tell the brunette the truth. “I was busy with school and work.” Craig continued. It was not a complete lie, though.

“Glad to hear that.” Michael smiled. He pushed himself away from the wall to step closer to Craig. “I missed you.” He said and crossed his arms around the black-haired man’s neck.

“I doubt it.” Craig mumbled and a whiff of smoke hit him as he leaned closer to the other. It reminded him of Tweek, and deep down he wished it was the blond man standing in front of him.

“I’m not lying.” Michael whispered and gently began to fondle Craig’s cheek. “It’s hard to forget a handsome face like yours.”

Craig could feel his nails ever so slightly scratching his face. Michael’s nails were long, compared to Tweek’s, who were constantly biting on his nails. Craig suddenly realized that he’s thinking about the blond man again. He sighed, and placed his hands on Michael’s waist. Even though the brunette was quite slim, he carried some excess fat around his midsection. Not like Tweek; he was toned and lean, thanks to many years of boxing. Craig could still remember how much he loved embracing his arms around the blond. His heart pounded heavily in his chest. He closed his eyes for a second and swallowed down the emerging memories of Tweek. _Why did he think about him again?_ He opened his eyes and looked at Michael. He was the man he should focus on now.

“I’m here now.” Craig said and smiled at the brunette, it was not an honest smile, but at least he tried.

Michael smirked at him with lustful eyes as he leaned closer to close on Craig and kiss him. He pressed his groin against Craig’s thigh and bit the other’s bottom lip.

Craig let out a deep moan and moved his hands lower, feeling the curves of Michael’s hips and gently squeezing his ass as he pulled him even closer. A wave of heat washed him over while his mind wandered how it would feel to kiss Tweek. Even though the blond had chapped lips they were the most appetizing lips Craig could ever imagine. He let Michael’s tongue slip into his mouth and imagined that instead of the brunette he was actually kissing the man his heart desired.

He felt a bit disappointed and his heart ached when he opened his eyes and saw strands of brown hair rather than blond.

“What’s wrong?” Michael asked once they parted away and he could look into Craig’s eyes.

“Nothing.” He breathed out. _He really should stop thinking about Tweek._

Michael frowned and stepped away from him. He could not see desire or even a sprinkle of interest in Craig’s amber eyes. They just looked somewhat sad and desperate.

“You sure? Because you seem off today.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Craig muttered but could not look into the other’s eye. He nibbled on his lip as he tried to ignore the newly evolved knot in his stomach.

He grabbed Michael and with a twist he pushed him against the wet, cold wall. He towered above him and kissed the brunette forcefully. _He wanted this. He wanted to be here. It was his own choice, but then… Why did it feel so wrong?_

He felt Michael pulling his jacket’s zipper down, and soon after his hands slipped under his shirt.

Craig winced from the touch of the cold fingers, while those hungrily wandered on his abs. It reminded him that he should do something too, so he bit the other man’s lip. He remembered how Tweek always chew on his bottom lip when he was anxious. He took a deep, sharp breath as he tried to erase the memory of Tweek’s beautiful smile from his mind, but it did not want to leave him. So, he closed his eyes and imagined kissing the blond again.

The black-haired man’s sudden eagerness surprised Michael in a good way so he moved one of his hands down. He gave a gently squeeze to Craig’s crotch and began to massage it through his jeans.

Craig let out a soft moan as he pressed himself even closer to the other. _It felt good, being touched by… Tweek…_

“It was so nice to see Tweek again! Man, he really…”

Craig froze, eyes wide open as he drew away from the brunette and shot his head to the direction of the main street. He could not recognize the man’s voice he just heard. His pulse was racing as he scanned through the street with no luck to figure out who said the blond man’s name. A hint of disappointment tinted his heart. _Maybe he just misheard it, and nobody was talking about Tweek…_

“Craig?”

Craig was harshly jolted back to reality once he heard Michael’s voice. He looked back at the other man, who watched at him with confusion and disbelief.

“Sorry, I just though I heard something…” He muttered.

“What?!” Michael snapped at him. He was running out of patience. “Man, you’re fucking strange today.” He grumbled with piercing eyes.

“I’m not. I’m fine!” Anger and frustration rose in Craig’s voice. He just wanted to feel better, and forget about Tweek and his stupidity of falling for a straight guy again. But now… He started losing control of his emotions again.

He grabbed Michael’s arm.

“Let’s grab a drink.” He commanded and pulled him out of the alley.

This time, however he really did hear a familiar voice and he turned his head to the other side of the road. His guts twisted painfully as he caught a glimpse of one of Tweek’s colleagues. It was that Russian girl. She was walking with a girl Craig did not recognize. They walked into the same bar he planned to go to just a second ago.

He stopped and panic increased inside him. _What if she saw him? What if she tells Tweek that he was with another man?_ It was unlikely, but there was a slight chance in the air, and Craig could not calm his mind.

That was the moment Michael had had enough of him. He shook the other’s hand off of him and waited until the black-haired man got over his surprise and turned around to face him.

“Craig, I don’t give a shit about you not telling me what’s going on with you.” Michael sounded annoyed as he narrowed his eyes at him. “Do you want to fuck tonight or not? I like a good foreplay, but what you’re doing right now is definitely not turning me on.”

Craig swallowed down a ball of guilt and tore his gaze away. He felt so confused and angry and sad and disappointed and very, very tired… _This just really was not his day._

“I’m…” He took a deep breath and quickly glanced at Michael. “Sorry.”

Michael puffed and a small bitter smile appeared on his lips.

“Never in a million years did I ever think that Craig Tucker would apologize to me for anything.” He let out a small laughter and gently squeezed Craig’s shoulder as he passed him. He walked inside the same bar where Tweek’s colleague and her companion went in.

Craig Tucker stood there with a deadpan face as Michael disappeared. He just got rejected again.

He was tired and defeated. He just wanted to go home and forget about everything.

***

The bar was busy, as it should be on a Saturday night, when Michael stepped inside. His eyes searched for a familiar face and when he finally found it, he approached her.

“Hey, Nell.” He whispered into the black-haired girl’s ear once he got behind her. “How is business going?”

The girl winced and turned around to face him.

“Micha!” She looked at him with surprise but her lips curled up into a happy smile. She gave a quick peck on his lips before she nuzzled up to him. “Good. We nearly sold out for tonight.” Her voice was soft and low as she talked. Michael let out a satisfied hum as a response. “But what are you doing here? I thought you were with Craigy boy.”

Michael looked at her and placed his hands on the girl’s hips.

“Nah, he’s useless.” He groaned and began gently kissing the girl’s neck. “He’s sick.” He mumbled into the soft skin.

“Stop! You’re tickling me!” Nell snickered and pushed him away. Once she could breathe properly again her eyes settled on her friend’s disappointed face. “Poor boy.” She sighed and smiled at him.

“Him or me?” Michael pouted and pulled Nell to his chest.

“Both, I guess.” The girl smirked and sneaked her hands under the man’s coat. “So, what’s wrong with Mr. Handsome?”

“It looks like he’s lovesick.” He grimaced and tried to steal a kiss from the girl, but instead Nell burst into a laughter.

“Oh, that’s rough!” She wiped the tears out of the corner of her eyes as she calmed down. “I wanted to get into his pants too.”

Michael grabbed Nell’s backside and lifted her in the air, giving her a playful kiss as they did a spin. He looked her in the eyes and broke into a mischievous smile once he put her down.

“I hope whoever caught Craig’s attention is straight! Because Craig Tucker is a really good fuck and I would hate to lose him!” Michael burst out and laughed. Maybe a little bit too loud, as some people turned their heads into their direction. One pair of eyes lingered on him a little bit longer than all the others…

“What do you think, should we go and find someone to play with?” Nell asked with a sly smile.

“Sounds good to me. Have you seen anyone interesting tonight?” One of Michael’s hands stayed on her waist as he escorted themselves out of the bar.

Nell thought about it quietly for a second before she looked up at her friend with glimmering eyes.

“I saw a pretty handsome blond guy running on the street not so long ago! He looked quite upset, I think he would appreciate some love tonight.”

***

Craig opened his apartment’s door and dragged himself inside. He somehow managed to kick his shoes off and he dropped his coat on the floor while he kept walking towards his room.

As soon as he got there he fell onto his mattress. He slammed his face into his pillow and let out a frustrated groan. He was agitated and disappointed, the forty-seven-minute-long walk back home did not help at all, and he felt shittier with every passing minute.

He sighed and turned on his back, so he could gaze at the sky above him, wishing he could be out there in the cold, quiet and infinite space. Life was dragging him down and he just wanted to weightlessly float in the darkness, forgetting all about the feelings which currently flooded his heart.

He was always good at controlling his emotions. But since he met Tweek things changed... Tweek made him feel feelings... all kinds of feelings. They were overwhelming and uncontrollable, and he hated that, but he could not stop himself from swallowing them eagerly. He thought about Tweek again and his throat went dry. God, he was so thirsty and the only thing which could ease his thirst was Tweek.

He rolled to his side and brought his knees up to his chest. He missed Tweek and hated himself for the way he acted. He felt so stupid and bitter, but above everything else, he felt utterly lonely.

He grabbed his phone and checked the time. It was nearly half past one. He chewed on the inside of his cheek while he made his decision. He opened his contacts and went straight for his favorites. His eyes immediately gravitated towards Tweek’s name and his heart throbbed painfully. His finger moved a little bit lower and pressed on the chosen name. It took some time before the other person finally picked it up.

“Hey, are you awake?”

“I am. Now.” Came Token’s deep sleepy voice from the other side of the line.

“Great! Do you want to play COD?”

After a moment of silence Token sighed and propped himself up on his elbow, tossing the luxurious silk sheet away.

“Sure, just give me a second to set up.” Token murmured.

Craig felt a hint of guilt for waking up his friend, but he knew Token was the only one who would play with him.

For a while, they really just played. Enjoying the game and complimenting or criticizing each other through their headsets.

“You call this a shot?” Token laughed.

“Shut up! I can’t concentrate like this!” Craig groaned and pressed the button harder.

Token laughed even harder.

“If you keep playing like this, you’re going to take the crown for the shittiest player from Clyde.” The dark-skinned man stated and his character cut in front of Craig’s character and shot an enemy down.

“Fuck you Token, I’m not _that_ bad!” He yelled and accidentally kicked his backpack which he left on the floor earlier.

“By the way I’m still amazed just how much Bebe is better in COD than Clyde. He must be so jealous of her.” Token snickered and killed another man.

“She’s a witch. Witches are good at killing.” Craig mumbled as he thought about the blonde girl. He was still pissed at her.

“What did she do now?” Token’s character stopped and looked at Craig’s.

“Nothing.” Craig scoffed.

“I want to say I believe you, but I really don’t.” Token’s voice was low and calm.

Silence fell on them until Craig gave in and sighed.

“Nah, she actually didn’t do anything bad. I’m just in a bad mood today.”

Token let out a soft hum and let Craig’s statement die away. Only the sounds of the game filled the air.

“Token?”

“Hm?”

“I never really asked, but…” Craig paused and bit down on his bottom lip. Even though he could not see his friends face, he still felt uncomfortable for asking the question which was on his mind. “Why did you and Nichole break up?”

He heard Token sigh and guilt flooded through the bottom of his stomach.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too.”

“No, it’s ok.” Token replied. His voice sounded different than usual. “It was a mutual agreement to end our relationship.”

“Because you did not love each other anymore?”

“No. Because both of us have dreams and goals that we want to fulfill. We talked a lot about the future even before we entered the senior year, and when it was time, we knew we needed to make our own decisions.” Token stopped for a second to shoot down an enemy. “She considered applying to the same university I did, but I talked her out of it. I wanted her to choose the one that fitted her goal the most, and it wasn’t this one…” Token inhaled deeply before he continued. “I didn’t want to hold her back, so I let her go.” He finished with a broken voice.

Sadness squeezed Craig’s heart tightly and ice-cold pain spread through his chest. He completely forgot about the game.

“But” Craig put down his controller and looked at his toes. “do you still love her?” His voice was unnaturally shaky.

“I do.” Came the quick and honest answer.

Craig felt his heart sunk.

“And what about Nichole, does she still love you?”

“I don’t know.” Token sighed. “She did when we broke up, but time has passed and maybe she moved on.” He sounded so sad, sadder than the day he told Craig and Clyde that he and Nichole broke up. That day Craig did not care a lot about it. Token looked fine, so he assumed that he was really fine. Clyde cried though.

“But then why? Why did you break up?” Craig’s heart ached, and a lump of sadness appeared in his throat.

“Just imagine how miserable it would be if we were still together.” Token let out a harsh and painful laughter. “I can’t just jump in my car and drive to her place, like I do with you guys. Europe is fucking far away man.”

Craig opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“I miss her, dude. So much.” Token breathed out.

“Love sucks.” Craig whispered into his headset and thought about Token and Nichole. The way they looked at each other. The smile she gave him when he sat next to her during recess. The time when Token went crazy to find the most amazing present for Nichole’s birthday, and ended up buying her all three books of The Lord of the Rings. She ended up loving it, luckily. The late Friday afternoon Craig spent with the two of them at Token’s place, playing on his PlayStation 4, eating cold pizza and drinking way too much energy drink. Craig missed Nichole too.

Token’s surprisingly light-hearted laughter disturbed his recollection.

“What?”

“So, you woke me up, and tricked me into a conversation of my past love life, just because of this?”

“Because of what?” Craig frowned.

“Is this all about Blondie? Did he turn you down?”

“No, he did not!” Craig felt his face heat up. He breathed in and out through his nose as he waited for Token to continue, but his friend stayed silent.

“I don’t know Token. I don’t understand anything anymore. One moment I think I may have a chance with him, but then he says he likes a girl.”

“Is he straight?”

“I thought so, but I don’t know anymore.”

“Why?”

Craig closed his eyes and fell back to his mattress. His cheeks flared and a knot formed in his stomach.

“He-He let me hold his hand.” He burst out. His heart was pounding loudly and he flushed even brighter.

For the longest second of Craig’s life, it was quiet. He was silently dying of embarrassment on his mattress. But then, Token laughed.

“Are we back to fourth grade?”

“Fuck off!” Craig snapped at him; he could not take any more humiliation.

“Sorry.” Token tried to bit back his laughter. “I’m truly sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” Craig mumbled and started to hate himself for opening up. He trusted Token, and he betrayed him.

“Okay, you’re right. I am not sorry, but come on Craig, I never heard you getting all flustered about anything.

Craig groaned as a response and tried to calm his racing heart down.

“Dude, come on! You literally announced that you lost your virginity in the janitor’s closet during recess with a deadpan face in a middle of Christmas dinner. And now you’re flustered because Blondie let you hold his hand?” Token kept laughing as the memories from that night came back to him.

Craig sat up and shook his head. He sighed and looked up. The sky was clear that night, and he could see the stars glimmering above him. He remembered just how beautifully amazed Tweek’s eyes were when he first saw his precious skylight window. He wanted to go stargazing with the blond man, and show him all the beauties the night sky could offer. A delicate smile started to bloom on his lips.

“Tweek.” Craig whispered and let the thoughts of the blond man flood his mind.

“What?” Token stopped giggling.

“He’s name is Tweek.”

“Oh.” Token gasped then stopped talking for a second. “Craig?”

“What?”

“I don’t really know any heterosexual guy who would lovingly hold another man’s hand.” Token said with a calm but serious tone.

“Except Clyde.”

“Yeah, except Clyde.” Token chuckled and soon Craig joined in too.

“Craig.”

“Hm?”

“Tweek looks like a really nice guy.”

Warmth spread all over Craig’s body and he felt a little bit lighter.

“He is. He’s awesome.” He beamed into the darkness.

“I bet he is.” Token said and Craig could tell by his voice that he was smiling.

***

It was three in the morning, and Craig felt high. He lied on his bed and thought about Tweek and the conversation he just had with Token. It felt good to share his feelings with someone who meant so much to him, and Token understood him, and encouraged him not to give up on the blond man.

He unlocked his phone and opened his photos. Tweek sent him a selfie a couple of days ago and he immediately saved it. The other man looked so mesmerizing on it. Craig smiled as he kept his eyes on the photo. He was undeniably in love with Tweek Tweak… And that thought caused butterflies to swarm inside his stomach.


	12. Say something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey, I'm still alive!! :D   
> Sorry guys for the long break, the last couple of weeks were pretty busy, but I'm finally back.  
> Huge thanks to the loveliest human being **thelotusflower** for editing this chapter and her continuously help, support and undying patient for listening my anxious rumblings and self-doubts. ILYSM! <3

“So, you say, that Craig asked you to find a date for his co-worker?” Clyde asked, keeping his eyes on his favorite blonde’s backside as she bended forward in front of the bathroom mirror.

“Uh-huh.” Bebe grabbed her mascara and began to apply it on her lashes.

“Then you promised Barbara a date with Craig?” A frown deepened on the brunette man’s forehead.

“Yup.” She replied, putting the mascara back and taking a light pink lipliner out from her makeup bag.

“But Craig would never agree to go out with her, so, you will lie that Craig forgot to mention you before, but he’s already dating someone…”

“Yes.” She finished with the lipliner and looked for her matching lipstick.

“And because you feel so bad about it” He said sarcastically, raising both of his hands in the air and to make finger quotes. “You will tell her that you just happen to know someone else who would be happy to go on a date with her…” Clyde looked up at the ceiling, trying his best to completely understand his girlfriend’s plan, “and so, you will bring Craig’s co-worker and your ex-yoga teacher together?”

“Exactly.” Bebe put the lipstick down and checked her makeup out in the mirror. She was happy with the result, so she reached for her setting spray and with three quick puffs from it, she was finally done.

“You’re an evil genius Bebe Stevens.” Clyde said, and beamed at her. Bebe smiled back from the mirror. “But are you sure Barbara will be ok with this?”

“I checked the guy’s Instagram profile. He’s quite good-looking and has a charming smile. Not as handsome as Craig, of course, but I think he will make it.” She began to brush her hair.

“Well, nobody is as handsome as Craig. He’s Mr. Number One, after all.” Clyde snorted, and hearing this, a small chuckle escaped from Bebe.

“Are you still sour because of that stupid list?” She asked while she put her hair in a pony tail. “It was a mutual decision by the girls.” She continued before she turned around to face her boyfriend. “But I did make you the number one.” Her lips curled into a sly smile.

Clyde snorted again with pouting lips. “Yeah, because you wanted some free shoes.”

“Maybe.” She agreed. Playfulness shimmered in her eyes as she walked closer to him. “But in the end, you did stay on the top of my list.” She stopped in front of the sitting man, and leaned lower, inching closer and closer to the brunette. “I love you so much.” She whispered into his ears before landing a kiss on the top of his head.

Clyde glanced up, meeting her in the eye. A soft and warm smile rested on his face. “I love you too.” His hands slipped around the girl’s waist. He pulled her closer and kissed her.

Bebe let out a soft giggle as she broke the kiss, gently patting the brown-haired man’s cheek. “You got lipstick on you.” She chuckled, while Clyde began to aggressively rub his lips.

She turned away to leave, but before she exited the bathroom, she looked back at him one more time. “By the way, how long are you planning to occupy the toilet?” She snickered and disappeared.

Clyde looked down at his naked lap. He scratched his groin then stood up, pulled his jeans back and flushed the toilet.

***

Goosebumps covered Tweek’s arms as he sat with crossed legs on the shower’s floor. Icy, cold air snuck inside to the tiny bathroom through the open window, and the steamy hot water poured on his head and back. His skin turned slightly red where the water reached him, while his nails turned purple in the cold air.

He leaned forward and reached for the already lit joint, which rested on the ashtray in the far corner of the shower. He brought the joint to his chapped lips and took a long, deep drag of it, before he quickly returned the cigarette to its safe place, so it wouldn’t get soaked. Dropping his back against the cold, wet tiles, he closed his eyes and tilted his head up, letting the water fall onto his face. He stayed like this for a short while, listening to the calm sound of the running water, and letting it wash all of his anxiety away. He opened his month and blew the smoke out while the water got inside.

When Tweek started working for his uncle, he promised himself, that he would never be high before work, but after three and a half years, he broke his promise. Last night’s events were too much for him. It only meant to be a short night out with his colleagues, but instead it turned out to be a disaster. Seeing Craig being intimate with another man was shocking, but most importantly, it was devastating. Their closeness made him sick. The way the stranger crossed his arms around Craig’s neck made Tweek’s stomach twist. In that moment when his friend placed his hand on the other man’s waist, he felt a knife stabbing his heart. Tweek was jealous. He knew he should not feel that way, but the truth was, that what he felt for Craig Tucker was more than just friendship. He tried to convince himself that it was only because the black-haired man was the very first person he ever felt safe enough with to tell his secrets. He knew he thought about Craig more then he should, and he craved for any contact with the other man. His whole body went ticklish and warm whenever Craig touched him, and he did feel butterflies every time he saw his smile. _Craig had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen._

Tweek was aware of the growing longing in his heart, but he buried it inside. However, He did not want to lose Craig just because he developed some feelings for him, and honestly, Tweek was not sure if he could handle another heartbreak. Since the day he was born, he felt weak and broken. He never had wings to fly, he was trapped in a world full of darkness and cruelty. The only time when he felt free of his fears and monsters was when he was high. But then what gave him the illusion of freedom eventually betrayed him too, and he lost his sanity.

A sharp pain in his wrist pulled Tweek out from his dark thought. He tilted his head down and looked at the long, deep white scar. The unforgettable image of blood squirting from his body flooded his mind and he felt sick again. He quickly clasped his other hand around his wrist and brought it to his chest. Feeling his pulse under his palm helped him calm down a bit as he tried to fight back the emerging tears. His body trembled under the pressure of anxiety. With a shaking hand, he grabbed the joint and put it between his lips, taking a deep shot of the sweet narcotic. His lungs filled with the smoke but it was not enough to erase the ache from his heart and body, so he took another drag. He just wanted to be sedated and forget about Craig Tucker for a moment.

Tweek stepped out from the shower and shook his head gently to get rid of some of the water in his hair. His caught a glimpse of a shadow in the mirror. Slowly turning his head, he felt his heart throbbing in his throat. His eyes met with his own twisted nightmarish reflection, and he felt fear tearing his chest open as he took in the image. It was him, but it also was not. It was the Tweek from the past. He was much paler and skinnier. So skinny, it looked more like skeleton than a human being. He had greasy hair, hollowed cheeks, bleeding lips and huge dark circles under his lifeless red eyes. It looked like a dead soul trapped in a living body. It was in pain, so much pain that Tweek felt like crying just from the memory. Suddenly he felt the insects began to crawl under his skin again. Panic arose in him as he was sure he could actually see them moving under the thin, pale skin of his reflection. He felt sick and he began to scratch his chest. Fortunately, his nails were short enough so he could not make too much damage, but the other Tweek was not that lucky. His nails were long, and sharp and as he dug them deep into his skin, blood began to gush out from the fresh scars. When he saw a centipede crawling out from the open wound, Tweek could not take it anymore. He could not face his demon any longer. He turned around and ran out from the bathroom, water dripping down from his naked body as finally reached his bedroom. He jumped into his bed and pulled the blanket over himself. In the darkness, under his cover, he gave up and let the pain and fear take him over. With a quiet and broken yelp, he began to cry.

He needed his medication. He knew that he should not let the demon win, but the TV stand felt like an eternity away, the pain in his wrist was nearly unbearable, his body was too heavy to move and his soul was shattered. He was not sure if he even had any energy left to fight. But then he remembered when Craig was lying next to him, listening as he told him everything about the worst day of his life. The way Craig looked at him, and held his hand… He could still feel the warmth of the other man’s hand on his skin. He wanted to see Craig, hear his voice and see his beautiful smile again.

With a racing heart and sore eyes, he sat up and pulled the blanket down. He could not give up, he needed to fight because he still had a reason to live.

***

After taking his medication, gulping down two shots of espresso and making sure he looked semi-acceptable, Tweek finally found enough courage in himself to leave his flat. Although, his main reason was to buy tobacco as he was running out of it.

When he opened the door and stepped inside the shop, he found Natasha, playing on her phone behind the counter.

“Nat?” He asked with a surprised look on his face.

The Russian girl glanced up from her phone and beamed at him.

“Morning pretty boy!”

“Wha-what are you doing here?” Tweek stepped closer, looking around in the empty shop. It was just past ten on a Sunday morning, so it was not anything new to not have any customers around that time. “I’m sure I gave this shift to Hannah.”

“Oh, yeah, about that…” Natasha giggled and sat on the countertop. Tweek’s browns frowned in disapproval. “She messaged me around five am, that she’s really drunk and somehow ended up in Lucas’ place.”

“Again?”

“Yup. So, I swapped with her.” Natasha shrugged and took a croissant out from the counter and began to munch on it. The blond man’s eyes fixed on the crumbs, falling on the once clean floor. “Sorry for not informing you earlier.”

A resigned sigh left Tweek’s lips as he grabbed a plate and handed it over to her.

Natasha hummed a quiet thanks before her phone buzzed and she quickly reached for it. An excited smile crossed her face as she looked at the new message with luminous eyes.

“I think I’m in love.” She announced it once she sent her reply.

“What?!” Tweek was not sure if he heard her right.

“I think I am in love.” Natasha repeated and grinned at him. “I met this girl last night just after you left and-”

“You mean you know her less then twelve hours and you already think you love her?” Tweek cut in; disbelief tinted his tired blue eyes.

“Yes.” She jumped off from the counter and consumed her last bit of croissant. “Liv is awesome, man! She’s an electrical engineer and in her free time, plays on the drums in a metal band too.” The passion and euphoria in her voice made Tweek’s stomach clench.

“She does sounds great…” He began calmly with a hint of worry. “But don’t you think it’s a bit early to say that you are in love?”

Tweek’s anxious eyes met with Natasha’s and the excitement softened into gratefulness on her face as she watched at the blond man in front of her.

“Maybe… maybe not.” She shrugged and stepped even closer to the other. “However, she’s definitely something special. I can’t remember the last time I felt like this.” She placed a hand on Tweek’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We only live once, Tweek… Sometimes you need to take a risk and just go with your gut.” She said with a soft smile.

In that moment Tweek already knew, Natasha was not talking about herself anymore.

“Sounds scary.” He looked away as he wrapped his right hand around his left wrist.

“It is scary.” She nodded calmly. “but if a fledgling doesn’t dare to jump, how would they know that they are capable to fly?”

Tweek shot his head back at her and opened his mouth to say something, even though, he had no idea what he should response.

However, luck was on his side this time, as in that same moment the shop’s door opened and a customer crawled inside.

Natasha turned back to the counter with a welcoming smile.

“I’m gonna pop out to buy some tobacco. Do you need anything?” Tweek asked and pulled his jacket’s zipper up.

“A pack of Marlboro Gold.”

Natasha looked at him from the corner of her eyes as he exited the shop. Her heart ached for the blond man with the broken soul. She knew there was more in Tweek’s past than the other let her know. She still clearly remembered the day she first met him. His eyes were dead.

However, she did notice how the life returned to those once cold blue eyes since the first time that mysterious man, called Craig, appeared in the shop. She was not sure if Tweek, himself already realized it or not, that he started to smile way more in the last couple of weeks. The memory of the blond man glancing over the other with longing in eyes warmed Natasha’s heart and gave her hope, that soon, she could finally see Tweek free from the chains which held him down.

***

The air was still cold and the sky was grey and cloudy. Smoke from the burning cigarette lingered around Tweek as he aimlessly wandered on the dirty street. His heart was racing, and the word _love_ echoed in his mind. He thought about Annie. How much he loved hugging her, or feeling her hand on him. Or the way her clear blue eyes crinkled upwards when she smiled, or how her nose scrunched while she laughed. The fact that she unintentionally put her hair behind her eyes whenever she was talking with someone she liked. Or that she was always humming a song whenever she was cleaning. And that she tried to hide the fact from Tweek that her favorite drink was peppermint mocha, just because she knew that he despised the mixture of coffee and hot chocolate. He found it adorable that after three years, she still did not realize that he was already aware of her guilty pleasure.

Even just thinking about her helped Tweek calm his nerves. She was so precious, so gentle and so kind. _Like an angel_.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette. A soft smile bloomed on his lips as he imagined her in a white dress. He knew she would be the most beautiful bride one day.

He exhaled slowly. The smoke beclouded his vision for a second and once he could see clearly again, Annie disappeared from his sight and was replaced by a handsome, black-haired man. His heart began to pound heavily in his chest as the memories of Craig flooded his mind.

Craig was so radiant, so mesmerizing but also such a dorkmand most importantly, he was so kind and caring. Tweek hated how lost he felt under the other’s amber eyes, they reminded him of melted gold. He hated how quickly he noticed that Craig always ran his hand through his hair whenever he felt embarrassed or uncomfortable. Or that his voice softened and his eyes shimmered with fatherly love whenever he talked or looked at Stripe. Tweek could not stand how sickly excited he got even just from the memory of the other’s half naked body or his husky morning voice. Or the fact he more and more often caught himself thinking of him, even missing the black-haired man. But the worst was just how much he craved for even the smallest touch from him.

He recognized these feelings; he knew them too well. The craving, the highs and the lows… It was addiction. He was addicted again but this time his new drug was Craig Tucker.

The realization scared him. Because the second he thought of him, he remembered what he saw last night. The image of Craig being with that other man left him jealous and heartbroken. And those feelings were dangerous.

Scorching darkness and despair entangled within his heart.

He took last shot from his cigarette as he thought of Sam. It was the first time in years that he wanted to see her again. He wished to just lie in bed, between her arms and cry. Listening her humming a soft lullaby in a broken, sad voice. She was the only one who ever really understood him, the only person who really _saw him_. It was true that their relationship was toxic and they definitely were pretty fucked up, but still… Without her, he would not be alive.

Tweek threw the cigarette butt in a nearby trash can and gazed up at the gloomy sky; feeling the need for a quick relief washing over him.

He had been sober for 1931 days. _But once an addict would always be an addict._

He forcefully bit the inside of his cheek until he could taste his own blood. He closed his eyes; focusing on the pain and ignoring the crave.

He remembered what Sam once told him, while they were high and naked, laying in the back of a pickup truck, watching the sunrise.

“ _As long as I dare to dream, I have a reason to live._ ” He whispered into the cold air. Ever since he left the rehab, he kept saying this, making it his mantra, and a reminder to never give up again.

***

Warm, golden light filled the quiet, empty shop. From the outside it looked like a small, gentle flame in the dark, cold night.

The dust was dancing in the air while Tweek kept sweeping the dirty floor. His’s chest felt heavy as his eyes lingered on the pretty girl behind the counter. She was quietly humming the song which played from the stereo while she was wiping the glasses. They just closed the shop for the day. Usually, Tweek loved having a shift with her, but this time, it was just hard. Every time Annie smiled at him, he thought of Craig. When the girl touched him, he wished it was the him instead. Whenever his eyes met with her blue ones, he wished that a pair of amber eyes would look back at him. When he glanced at her lips, he remembered how soft and warm Craig’s lips were, and he immediately felt butterflies erupt in his stomach. It made him felt guilty, like he was cheating on his feeling for Annie…

All afternoon he was checking his phone, waiting for a message from Craig which never came. He wanted to message him so badly, but he was unsure if that would be the right thing to do. The more he thought about Craig, the more his head hurt.

“Done!” Annie announced it happily once she finished with the wiping.

Tweek jerked in surprise. He was so deep in his thought that the sudden sound completely caught him off guard.

“Do you need any more help?” She asked.

“No.” He shook his head slowly. “You can go home now.” A lopsided smile appeared on his lips as he spoke.

Annie gave him an unsure glance, but did not oppose. With a tired sigh, she took off her apron and grabbed her bag from the old chair they kept behind the counter. She was ready to leave when the music changed and a familiar song began to play.

“Oh, I love this song!” She said as he walked over to the blond man. “Have I ever mentioned to you that I was named after this song?”

“No, you haven’t mentioned that before.”

“It used to be my grandpa’s favorite. When my mom got pregnant with me, he got so excited and happy. He was really looking forward to meeting me.” Annie’s eyes softened as she looked at Tweek with a gentle smile sitting in the corner of her lips. “But sadly, he unexpectedly passed away, just three weeks before I was born.” Sadness darkened her bright blue eyes. “He used to sing this song while dancing with my mom all the time. She decided to name me after it. So, whenever I hear this song, I can feel him closer to me. I always imagine him looking down from the heavens, singing this to me.” That kind and heartwarming smile returned to her face. She grabbed Tweek’s hands and slowly began to bounce on her feet to the rhythm of the song, inviting the man to join in.

Tweek felt his heart in his throat as she watched her. It was not the first time they danced on the shop’s cracking, old wooden floor, but this time when he placed his hand gently on her waist, it felt different. He let her lead him, overtake his body while his mind battled with the overwhelming feeling and thought.

Suddenly Annie began to sing the lyrics and a pang of sadness washed over Tweek as he listened her lovely voice.

“ _Let me give my life to you._ _Come, let me love you. Come love me again.”_ She sang with the sweetest smile, and her blue eyes shimmered like the ocean on a sunny day as she glanced up at him.

In that moment, the world stopped for Tweek. He made a decision; he could not bring himself to make for years. His grip tightened on her waist as he pulled her close and when their bodies touched, he kissed her.

For a short second Annie stayed still, but eventually she held onto the other and melted into the man’s hugging arms.

This was the most bittersweet kiss Tweek had ever had. It was such a sweet and tender kiss; her lips were soft and slightly sticky from the sugarcoated cake she just had not so long ago. In a way, Tweek was proud of himself for finally being brave enough to kiss her. He was dreaming about it, yearning after her so long… But in the end, he did not feel anything. There were no butterflies, no flickering flames, no excitement nor longing. It was just sad and empty, like a well in a desert.

Tweek felt his heart breaking. He wished to keep loving her, not being sure if he was ready to let her go. He wanted to love her just for a little longer, holding onto that safe, warm, and innocent feeling. _Because loving Annie was safe…_ He knew she had never had feelings for him, and never would have, and this somehow was reassuring.

Because the moment he would open up to someone, and give his heart away, he could be hurt again, and that thought was scary.

Tweek always lived through his life, feeling like he was rocking in a boat in the middle of the wild ocean during a storm. There was no way for him to escape, except drowning. He was afraid, and alone. Exhaustedly fighting for his life every day while being surrounded with nothing else, just water and darkness. However, when Craig appeared, the storm passed. Since that rainy night, he felt like the two of them were sitting in the boat, gazing at the clear, breathtakingly starry night. Tweek was not afraid anymore, nor alone. He could see the reflection of the sky in Craig eyes, and there was nothing else Tweek had ever wanted more than chasing the stars within those beautiful golden eyes.

Even though he knew that he should not fall for Craig, he could not stop himself. _Craig was different_. He knew who Tweek really was and still he did not abandon him. He accepted him, and kept coming back, like he just did not care. He was not disgusted or disappointed. And the way Craig smiled at him… It made him feel like he was loved in a way he had never been before.

The song ended.

Their lips parted, and Tweek immediately stepped away from the surprised girl.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered casting his eyes down. “I-I…”

“Tweek?” Annie said his name at least in a million way before, but never in the way she just said it. It was unfamiliar, filled with curiosity, wonder, shock and a hint of desire.

“Annie, I-I loved you, since the first day we met.” He blurted out, grabbing his wrist nervously. “I never… I was afraid, I guess… But then…” He felt his face warming up. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you.” He shook his head, feeling sick as his anxiety began to rise.

“What… What are talking about?” She asked cautiously, and her hand gently landed on Tweek’s arm.

The man glanced up, meeting her in the eye, and he felt even more worse than before. She was blushing with pleading eyes and softly shaking lips.

“I think I’ve fallen in love with someone…else.” Tweek’s voice was sad and broken, filled with guilt as he spoke. “I didn’t want to, but… It just happened, and I- I betrayed my feeling for you.”

“So that’s why you look happier now days.” She breathed out, gazing at the tip of her shoes.

“I…I as so sorry Ann-”

Annie could not take it anymore. All of the sadness and guilt in Tweek’s voice broke her heart. She did not want him to feel bad. She shot her head up, and with flickering eyes, she stepped closer and grabbed his face to pull him down for a short, quick kiss.

Tweek did not even have time to process what just happened before she broke the kiss.

“Whoever was able to steal your heart, I hope she knows how lucky she is.” She gazed deeply in his eyes. Honesty, kindness and love glimmered inside of them.

She stepped away from the man, and turned around her heels to leave, but just before she opened the door, she stopped and looked back at the him.

“Tweek… Thank you for loving me.” She said with the saddest smile of all stretching her lips.

After that, she just silently entered the shop, and walked into the darkness.

For the umpteenth time that day, Tweek felt like crying. This was the hardest goodbye he had ever have, but he needed to let her go to finally be able to fully let Craig in.

***

Annie opened her apartment’s door and quietly slipped inside. Her home was warm and welcoming as always. She dropped her bag to the floor and walked towards the kitchen. Her heart was still racing from what just happened in the shop. Her head hurt from all of the sudden realizations, and Tweek’s words echoed in her mind.

She opened the fridge and took out an unopened bottle of wine. She reached for a glass to pour some wine into, and when she was done, she began to walk towards her living room.

She remembered Tweek’s confession again and stopped, looked back at the bottle which she left behind on the counter. With a sigh, she walked back and grabbed the entire bottle too. She needed more then just a glass of wine…

She plopped down at the couch the moment she entered the living room, bringing her legs up to her chest, she gazed at the pictures on the wall. There were at least thirty pictures there from her parents, three brothers, grandparent, cousins, nieces, uncles and aunties and her friends. She took a sip from the wine and looked at the first picture she had ever been taken with Tweek. It was nearly three years ago. That time, he was much paler and more tired, drinking three times more coffee than he did it these days and smoked at least one pack of cigarette a day. Although it was usually more like two packs… Even though he was not the most appealing man in those days, Annie fell for him the moment she met him. _She used to be in love Tweek_. His soft, broken smile stole her hear. He was always so gentle and caring, she could not help but to fall for him. However, when she admitted for feeling to Hannah, the ginger girl told her that she was absolutely sure that the blond man was gay. First Annie disagreed with her, but as the time past and Tweek did not show any interest for her or any other women, she eventually accepted it. She felt heartbroken, but moved on. Successfully erasing her feeling for him. Or at least, she though she was successful…

She thought about Tweek and the way his eyes brightened and his smile widened in the last couple of days. They were not for her; they were caused by someone else. But maybe if she did not give up or just simply dare to ask him about his sexuality, then maybe…maybe she could be the one to make him happy and the reason behind his smile. Then maybe their first time kissing would not be the last one…

Teardrops flew down on her cheeks and her lips shook. Pain slowly spread through her chest as she began to sob. She did not understand how could she feel so heartbroken for a man she did not meant to be in love anymore.

***

Craig spent all day thinking of Tweek. He knew he could not keep his feelings as a secret anymore so he decided to surprise the blond man after his shift and finally confess to him.

His heart was racing and his stomach was lurching with excitement and nervousness as he got closer to the shop. It was dark and cold outside, but his cheeks were warm from the soft blush which rested on his face. He could not remember the last time he felt so anxious, but even just the thought of Tweek made him happy. He did not want anything else more then pull him into his arms and kiss him. He was sure Tweek would look really hot while kissing. He pursed his lips as he tried to fight back a smile when he arrived to the shop and with a hammering heart he glanced inside.

His eyes widened and he felt his world shuttering into million small pieces as he saw at the blond man and his colleague clinging onto each other with lips locked together.

Craig was right. Tweek really looked good while kissing.

He turned around and left. Feeling lost and defeated with a bleeding hole in his heart. He should have known…

He checked the time on his phone; if he hurried, he would make it. He opened his contacts and called the only person he could think of. It only took one ring for the other to pick it up.

“Hey, come and get me at the train station in three hours, and don’t you dare to be late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this story received another beautiful fanart! This time, it's from the amazing and super talented **VibratingBlondeChild**! I can't thank them enough for this precious gift, I will cherish it forever! Please guys, go check out their [Fanart](https://vibratingblondechild.tumblr.com/post/638525551527755776/meet-me-on-the-horizon-tweek-tweak-was-living) and show them some love and support because they really deserve it!!


	13. All out of love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to the most amazing peanut in the entire WORLD **ambercreek95** for editing this chapter and her continuously help and support!

The endless, dark ocean of the heavens was filled with billions of twinkling, bright stars. The thin crescent moon looked like a crack on the night sky. Craig exhaled slowly and a breath of cloud blurred his sight. His aching heart filled with bittersweet nostalgia as he inhaled the cold air. It had that hint of the strange mixed taste of fresh snow, muddy soil and manure. The odour he grew used to during the first eighteen years of his life. The scent of home.

He pulled the zipper of his coat up and walked out from the station into the poorly lit parking lot, where a lone truck was waiting for him. With quick steps, he walked over to the old pickup and pulled the front seat’s door open. The car stank of weed, alcohol and cheap deodorant.

“Yo, Midnight visitor!” said the driver once Craig had jumped inside, but he only received an angry growl as a reply. “Nice and warm welcome as always.” The chauffeur snickered and started the car.

Craig hugged his bag tighter to his chest and looked at the other man in the car. His honey blond hair grew a lot since the last time they met, and it was long enough to pull into a low, short ponytail. “Thanks for the ride, Kenny,” he muttered and looked at the kind, dark brown eyes.

“No problem, dude.” Kenny smiled at him and began to roll out from the parking lot. “Where to go?”

“To the usual place,” Craig sighed as he glanced at his right side; the safety belt was still broken.

“Gotcha!”

The two young men kept driving through the sleeping, little mountain town and while Kenny kept his eyes on the road, Craig’s mind filled with memories he had not thought of in a while. As they drove in to SoDoSoPa, he remembered the nights he spent hanging out there and getting wasted with Kenny. All the times he fell from his bike on these streets. They passed Craig’s home and his heart throbbed loudly as he noticed the faint light coming out from Tricia’s room and next to it, on his own window, he could see the faded alien sticker he had put on it when he was no older than eleven. Clyde’s house was in complete darkness, his father was probably away somewhere else. It looked cold and abandoned; ever since Mrs. Donovan passed away it felt like this. Craig bit his lower lip and looked away, focusing on the ancient, snowy pines across the street. He took a quick glance at the trees which were damaged by that fire Kenny and his idiot friends caused that one time. His eyes shifted over to their old elementary school building. He closed his eyes and heard Kyle and Cartman’s arguing about something crazy or some stupid shit. Stan’s annoyed sigh before he jumped between his friends to try and stop them while Kenny chuckled in the background, enjoying the show as usual, and Bebe, Wendy and their little gang complained about it around the roundabout. He could still clearly remember Jimmy’s stuttering jokes in the hallway. Clyde pouting and moaning while Token tried to explain math to him was forever burned into Craig’s mind.

With a loud thud the car reached the end of the asphalted street and continued its way on the dirt road over Stark’s Pond. Suddenly, darkness consumed everything. The tall pine trees towered above them threateningly from the side of the road, and the truck’s light was not strong enough to illuminate the dense woods. The unspoken secrets of the forest stayed hidden from their eyes.

After a few more silent minutes they finally arrived at their destination. Kenny turned off his old car and Craig immediately jumped out of it. A chill run down his spine as the cold air hit him. The moment his eyes settled on the view in front of him, his heart swelled. The faint lights of the sleeping town shimmered in the far distance and before his feet lay Stark’s Pond. The clear night sky reflected back from the still surface of the water. Hundreds of glimmering stars filled the black lake. A pond of miracles.

He picked up a flat stone and skimmed it across the water. It skipped nine times before it sunk. The little circles of waves broke the stillness of the surface; and the once frozen stars began to dance slowly.

Craig closed his eyes for a moment and thought about Tweek and how much he wished he could show this to him. He imagined what it would feel like to walk inside the lake, being surrounded by the celestial lights and looking into Tweek’s flickering eyes as he encases him in a gentle embrace. While they would be floating between heaven and earth, he would kiss him; letting his soul be lost and frozen in that moment forever.

“God, this place is still creepy at night,” came Kenny’s voice from behind him. Craig could hear his dream shattering into a million tiny pieces.

“You just had to ruin it, hadn’t you?” he moaned and turned back to the car. His blond friend stood next to his car with a puzzled expression holding an old wool blanket and a bottle of booze between his hands. Craig’s eyes settled on the warm covering. “I suppose it is not clean?” he said and walked to the backside of the truck.

Kenny shrugged and climbed into the truck bed.

“Tell me, at least, that it is not covered with your jizz” Craig sighed as he jumped up too, and plopped down next to the blond man.

“Do you want me to say that you will be the first one I use it with?” A sly grin appeared on Kenny’s lips while he unfolded the blanket and tossed half of it over to the other man, whom face twisted into an unpleasant grimace as he covered his body with the dirty cloth. “C'mon Craig, I'm sure you had dreams about fucking me too.” He snickered and reached for the bottle of cheap whiskey he brought with himself. He took a loud gulp before handing it over to the other.

"Yes,” Craig agreed and accepted the offering. “They were fucking nightmares.” He smirked and took a sip from the bottle. It was the same brand he and Kenny used to buy when they were teenagers, and even though it tasted horrible – maybe even worse than Craig remembered – he did appreciate it.

Kenny broke into a breathless laugh which morphed into playful grin. “Well, if you ever change your mind...”

“You will be the first to know.” Craig nodded and glanced at him; his lips curled into a faint smile as he handed the bottle back.

Silence fell upon them while they took turns drinking and gazing at the sky. The familiar environment, the cold and still night and Kenny’s presence calmed his racing mind and aching heart. He was the only one outside of Craig’s own friend circle that he truly trusted.

“Man, I can't believe that Karen’s turning eighteen soon!” Kenny’s voice broke the quietness of the night and his frisky brown eyes landed on the other. “What did you give Tricia for her birthday?”

“A headache.”

A deep bass guffaw burst out from the blond man, accidentally kicking Craig’s leg at the same time. “Dude, I miss hanging out with you.”

Under the faint moonlight, a soft smile bloomed on the black-haired man’s lips as he watched his friend laughing wholeheartedly. He felt the same, he missed Kenny too. Unquestionably, Clyde and Token were his best friends and they accepted him and always supported him. However, Kenny was a special kind of friend, because he knew what it felt like to be different. Kenny understood him and what he went through growing up as a gay kid in a small redneck town in the middle of nowhere.

The blond man stopped laughing suddenly, as he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. With a sigh he picked it up. In the soundless night Craig could clearly hear Cartman’s annoying voice coming through the device.

“Um-hum” Kenny hummed but Cartman kept yelling in the phone. “Uh-huh… nuh-uh.” He shook his head and sighed. “Sorry, dude, not this time.” Craig heard a loud noise coming from the other side of the phone. “Yeah-yeah… See ya.” And with that the call ended.

“What are your asshole friends up to this time?”

“Do you really wanna know?” Kenny smirked at him and took the booze out of Craig’s hand.

“Actually, no,” he replied and watched as the blond man downed the whiskey. “I am just surprised that you are not with them.”

Kenny let out a tired chuckle and handed the bottle back to Craig. “I can’t afford it right now,” he shook his head and gazed ahead. A delicate smile rested on his lips. “I’m saving up, so I can take Karen to Denver for her birthday.” His smile stretched even further. “We will go shopping and I will buy her the prettiest clothes we can find and then I will take her to a fancy restaurant and ask for their best meal for her and in the end, they will bring out a cake for her with sparkles on it!” His voice was filled with excitement and undying love as he talked about his little sister.

“You are a great brother, Ken.” Craig looked at the other and lovingly squeezed his shoulder, Kenny beamed back at him.

“I try.” The blond nodded and glanced at the town again. “She deserves the world, man.” He said tenderly before he turned back to Craig with a huge mischievous smile. “Hey, do you remember when we beat up Tricia’s first boyfriend after he cheated on her?”

“Fuck yeah!” Craig giggled and took a sip of the whiskey. He started to feel a bit hazy “We stole his money too, and the next day we took Trish and Karen to see a movie with it.”

“That little shit fucker deserved it.”

“Totally.” Craig agreed and tossed back the bottle to his friend. He felt a slight buzz and his cheeks felt warm, even though it was a cold winter night.

“So, Craig,” Kenny spoke up again a couple of minutes later, he wore a serious look on his face, and from his tone, the dark-haired man already knew the other did not want to avoid the inevitable conversation which hung in the air, any longer. “Will you finally tell me what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” he lied and took a big gulp from the half empty bottle. He thought about Tweek and he felt his heart breaking again. He just wanted to forget him. “I just really missed you.”

“Cut the crap, man,” Kenny grunted and glanced at the other. “We both know you only call me in the middle of the night when you don’t want your little groupies to see you weeping like a baby.”

“Fuck you, Kenny,” he snorted and flipped him off.

“If that’s really what you want…” The blond chuckled. “I’m down for it.” With a swift move he took the whiskey from the other man’s hand. “We can even use this too, if you’re into it?” he asked and his face broke into a devilish smile.

“And now, you just reminded me why we never got together.” Craig rolled his eyes, however after that he felt more at ease.

“Because you cannot handle my awesomeness?” Kenny let out a snort of laughter.

“You wish.”

“Well, that’s fine by me, you’re bad at kissing anyway,” Kenny shrugged and took another sip.

“What?! No, I am not!” Craig shot his head towards the blond man; eyes wide open and brows furrowed as he continued. “You said I was good!”

“I lied.”

“Fuck you, Kenny,” Craig groaned and kicked the other’s leg which caused his friend to laugh even harder. “Was it because of the braces?” he asked, a lack of self-confidence tainting his voice.

Hearing this, Kenny stopped laughing. “No, dude, not at all!” He shook his head vividly. “The braces were cool. I liked them, they felt special,” he admitted and Craig felt his heart fluttering after hearing that. However, the blond quickly continued with an impish grin on his face. “You were just shit at it, man, and so so sloppy!” he snickered, remembering back to that night when their first and only kiss occurred.

“We were only fourteen,” Craig muttered, feeling shame washing over him. “I’m better at it now.” His ego was hurt and he did not enjoy it.

“Oh, I’m sure you are,” Kenny smirked and tossed the whiskey back to his friend.

“Jerk!” Craig barked at him and kicked him under the blanket again.

“Asshole,” Kenny replied and returned the kick.

“Sleaze.” Another kick, but this time it was slightly less aggressive.

“Douchebag.”

“Dickhead.”

“Bastard.”

“White trash.” Craig smirked at the other and gave one more gentle kick to the other’s leg.

“Fag,” Kenny came back at him with a beam and wiggling eyebrows.

“That’s weak,” Craig snorted, but his lips curled into a joyful smile. “Also, joke’s on you,” he said and gulped down the booze.

“That’s fine!” Kenny snickered. His eyes crinkled upwards and the alcohol tinted his freckled face with a soft pink blush. “I know you love me, Craig Fucker.”

“You wish, Kenneth McWhoremick.”

Brown eyes met with amber ones for a moment before the two young men burst into a fit of laughter. Their giggling voices echoed through the silent night. Craig gazed at the sky and the thousands of twinkling and slowly dancing stars looked back at him. He always thought there was not anything more beautiful or mesmerising in this word than the clear, night sky. However, things changed, and he found something even more breathtaking. Someone, who shone brighter than the sun itself. Who’s smile could steal his breath away and who’s eyes were bluer than the deepest oceans. A pang of sadness nested in his heart as the memories of Tweek flooded his intoxicated mind.

“Kenny?”

“Hm?”

“Have you ever watched Sailor Moon?”

“Of course I have! I love that show,” Kenny laughed. “Usagi is my queen. Why?”

“Just thinking,” Craig mumbled as his eyes settled on the crescent moon. “He told me it was his favourite show as a child…” He breathed out and remembered how adorable Tweek looked with his flushed cheeks that night. His heart beat loudly and he was sure even the other man could hear it.

Kenny stopped laughing and he looked at him with soft eyes. “Sounds like he has a good taste.”

Admiration painted Craig’s slightly drunken face. Longing shimmered undoubtedly in his eyes and a tender smile crept upon his lips. _He’s ready to talk_. “He is amazing, Kenny,” he breathed out, keeping his gaze on the sky. “So amazing and so fucking beautiful.”

There was something in the way Kenny watched Craig’s profile. His always kind eyes softened even further, and he looked completely sober. An encouraging smile bloomed on his lips. “How did the two of you meet?”

“He works in a coffee shop which is on my way to the uni,” Craig muttered playing with the edge of the blanket. “And he makes the best coffee I have ever tasted,” he added and glanced at Kenny with a faint, longing smile. “You’ll need to try it one day.”

The blond let out a heartfelt chuckle. “He sounds like a catch!”

“He is,” Craig said and his upward curling lips straightened out while the short-lived happiness faded out from his eyes. “But…”

“Taken?”

“I guess.”

“You guess?”

Craig looked at the Kenny, and the blond man immediately recognised the other’s sad face; he saw it so many times before. His heart filled with sympathy and pain.

“It’s a long story,” the black-haired man sighed.

“The night is still young and I have time,” Kenny said and gently shook the half empty bottle in his hand.

They eyed each other before Craig reached for the whiskey and took a huge gulp from it. “His name is Tweek,” he began. Kenny shifted his body into a more comfortable position to face the other.

Under the starry sky, in a quiet, little, mountain town, two young men sat in the back of an old red truck, covered with a dirty blanket, sipping on cheap booze and talking about the world’s most complicated feeling; _love_. The skinny moon above them lazily swam across the darkened heavens as the hours slowly passed by.

“You know what you are Craig? A coward,” Kenny said, puffing on a cheap cigarette.

The black-haired man shrugged. What the other said hurt him. He knew Kenny was right. “I'm out of fucks to give,” he lied and took a drag on his own cigarette. He always hated the cheap brand the blond bought ever since they were twelve.

“No, you are clearly not,” Kenny shook his head. “You’re just running away, like you always do, because you don’t want to be hurt again.”

Craig let out an annoyed groan and angrily inhaled his cigarette. The smoke burned his throat and his lungs cried out in pain. He teared up as he fought back a coughing fit.

“If you really want him, then fight for him. Tell him how you feel and at least give him a chance to explain what happened last night.” The man with the freckled face continued. “Kissing doesn’t necessarily mean anything. You’ve kissed girls too and you are the gayest gay I have ever met,” he added.

“Oh, wow, thanks man.” Craig rolled his eyes.

“You’re welcome,” Kenny snickered. “Also, the way he acts around you… it sounds to me like he has feelings for you too.”

“I thought that too, until yesterday…” A broken grimace appeared on the dark-haired man’s tired face. The skin under his eyes were puffy and dark.

“Look, I’m not an expert or anything, but I don’t think hetero guys act like him. I mean, holding hands with you- ?”

“We were holding hands too,” Craig reminded the other and stubbed out his cigarette, placing the butt into the empty whiskey bottle.

“Yeah, and which one of us turned out to be straight?” Kenny shrugged with a sly grin on his face.

“You are right,” Craig sighed before his eyes settled on the other man, and a mischievous smile appeared on his lips. “Although, you are only semi-gay.”

“Oh, rude! Now you are casting me out?!” Kenny tried to act like he was offended but his lips twitched, and soon both men burst into a laughter.

“Look, Craig, I know you prefer your life to be boring as hell and you don’t like to take risks,” Kenny continued, once he managed to stop laughing. Not even a hint of mockery tinted his voice. “but just for once in your goddamn life, be a little reckless.” He eyed the other with a surprisingly serious face.

“I let you and your asshole friends trick me once, and we all know how it ended,” Craig muttered, remembering back to his childhood trauma.

“Are you still mad about Peru?” Kenny snickered. “I already paid you back.”

“Well, Cartman still owns me his part.”

“And you’re never gonna get that money back,” the blond nodded and a moment later he placed his hand on the other’s shoulder. “Craig, please don’t give up this time,” he said and gave a gently squeeze to broad shoulder.

If it were anyone else but Kenny, Craig would shake their hand off and tell them to fuck off. However, he and Kenny shared a special bond. The blond man knew every little detail of Craig’s miserable love life. It was not like he wanted to share those details with the other at first, but there was something about Kenny that made him open up completely. Maybe it was the fact that he was not straight either, or his assuring smile and eyes which showed absolute understanding, or maybe the weed they smoked together… who knows…

“Thank you,” Craig said with sincerity in his eyes and patted the other’s hand which rested on him.

Kenny gave him that strange, crooked smile he wore on his face sometimes. It was a little broken smile, hiding his unspoken secrets from the world. It always made Craig’s heart ache.

Silence settled between them while they watched the sun rise above the horizon. The first warm rays of sunlight painting the sky bright pink and orange and consumed the last bits of darkness. The stars faded away from Craig’s sight, and he already missed them. Kenny kept puffing on his last cigarette, filling the fresh, chilly morning air around them with smoke.

Craig opened his bag, searching for his phone but when he found it and saw the numerous texts and missed calls, he quickly realised he made a huge mistake. He forgot to inform Clyde about his sudden trip to the Heartbreak Hotel. He unlocked the device and tried to call him back but the screen turned black the moment he pressed on it. “Shit.”

“What?”

“My phone died,” Craig moaned, his head began to hurt from the sleepless night and the growing hangover. “I had at least a dozen messages and missed calls from Clyde.”

“Did you forget to feed him?”

“Shut up!” Craig chuckled tiredly. “Can I drop him a message from your phone?”

“Sure, dude,” Kenny nodded, holding the nearly finished cigarette between his lips while he fished his phone out from his pocket and handed it over. “but I don't have Clyde's number.”

“Don't worry,” Craig mumbled and began to type his best friend’s number in it. “I'm a responsible owner.”

“Please tell me you gave him a collar with a tag too.” The blond laughed and stubbed his cigarette out.

“Four years ago, for Christmas, but I think Bebe appreciated it more than him.”

“That's brilliant Tucker!” Kenny cracked up and pushed the blanket off of himself. “So, what’s the plan now?” he asked, looking at his friend.

Craig nibbled on his lips as he watched the rising suns reflection on the small lake. “A pond of sunshine,” he whispered, thinking of Tweek again. He missed him. He did not want to lose him. He was not ready to let him go. He needed to see him. He wanted him. _He just could not stop loving Tweek_. He glanced at the blond man. “Could you take me to the train station?”

A delighted smile crossed Kenny’s face as he stood up. “Now we’re talking! Go get him Tiger!” he said and jumped from the truck bed. He let out a cocky laughter once he heard Craig’s unimpressed grumble from behind.

“You are drinking and driving?” Craig glared at him with disbelieve when the blond man cracked open a can of beer, which he hid in the car until now.

“Best cure for a hangover,” Kenny winked at him and took a large swig from it before starting the engine.

“I doubt it,” Craig said and tried to fasten his seat belt, but as soon as he looked at it, he sadly remembered that it was broken. “One day, it's going to be the cause of your death,” he muttered and silently prayed to be wrong.

“Don’t worry, Death can't catch me,” Kenny chuckled with a joyful smile, but a faint bitterness oozed from his voice and for a moment, his eyes lost all the light in them.

As Craig watched his friend, he felt like he forgot something very important while a strange and inexplicable sorrow flooded his heart.

***

It was almost seven o’clock in the morning when Kenny turned his truck off in front of his family’s home. He felt utterly tired and his body and mind were heavy from the burden of his whirling thoughts. He felt lonely and abounded. However, a wave of happiness washed over him when he heard the main door open and saw the shadow of a tiny figure from behind.

“Shouldn’t you be still in bed?” he asked with a soft smile.

Warmth spread through his chest as he watched his petite, little sister step outside with two steaming chipped mugs of coffee in her hands. She wore a simply black leggings and a faded, baggy old Korn pullover. It used to belong to Kenny during his rebellious teenage years. She was so small compared to him that the hoodie looked more like an oversized dress on her.

“Can’t sleep,” she replied and looked at her beloved brother as he walked over to her. “Rough night?” she asked and handed over one of the mugs.

Kenny nodded and accepted the welcoming drink. It was the cheapest, shittiest instant coffee sold in South Park, mixed with mostly clean boiling tap water. It tasted horrible, but Karen made it for him, so for him, it was worth more than any fancy drink. “Thank you,” he said and gazed at his sister’s big, grey eyes.

Karen gave a little smile at him and with her free hand, she reached for her brother’s cold cheek. “It’s ok,” she spoke softly, tenderly pushing strands of dirty blond hair behind his pierced ear. “It’s going to be ok,” she repeated, looking deeply into the other’s dark eyes.

Kenny could not take it anymore. His lips trembled and he felt tears appearing in the corner of his eyes. His heart was heavy from the years of hidden emotions which piled up inside of it. He placed his mug on the rotting wooden windowsill and wrapped his arms around Karen’s bony little waist while nuzzling his face into her soft, warm neck.

Her free tiny hand began to gently rub her brother’s back, humming a soft lullaby. Her sweet, angelic voice healed the wounds on Kenny’s broken heart.

“I love you, Karen,” he wept quietly. “I love you so much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this was the last angsty chapter! So get ready for all the fluff and love your heart can handle.  
> Also I can't believe, that we only have one more chapter and an epilogue left! :o  
> Please, please no, hateful comments about Crenny or Kenny. Kenny is my absolute favourite baby. 
> 
> **Guys, if you love Creek and/or my writing check out the first chapter of my new Creek fic,**  
>  [The untold legend of the reckless seven](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781055/chapters/70579185)  
> Love you all xx

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking your time to read and give my story a chance. 
> 
> I didn't write anything in nearly ten years, and English is my second language so it is a tough challenge, but I'm enjoying every bit of it. 
> 
> I would truly appreciate any comments, good or bad, I'm here to improve. 
> 
> Next chapter is coming soon.  
> Until next time!


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